A Broken Wolf
by Vale P
Summary: A lone wolf lives independently rather than with others as a member of a pack. Cameron Davis is one such wolf, though not by choice. After being separated from his home, that dormant gene in his body was never triggered. When he returns to LaPush over fifteen years later to strangers and monsters, what will happen when he finally shakes hands with destiny? Will he stay a lone wolf?
1. Chapter 1 - Opportunity

**Authors Note: This is the first fic I've ever actually published. I'd greatly appreciate any reviews you could offer, and I hope you enjoy my story. This is going to be a long ride, hopefully some of you will hop on and see where it gets off.**

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**Disclaimer****: I in no way shape or form claim to own any of the original ideas created by the brilliant mind of Stephanie Meyer. This story is simply my own humble addition to the already fantastic universe that is Twilight. **

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Chapter One - Opportunity

Did you know the name 'Cameron' literally means 'Crooked and Broken' in Daelic? Ironic, how my name resembles my "Life" to a T.

The earliest memory I can remember is a simple yet horrifying one. I can sum it up in one word or a thousand, but I'll go with the former: Death.

I watched my mother jump over a bridge when I was three. I watched unknowingly as she plummeted into the seemingly endless abyss that was the gap between two mountain, flailing and screaming as she went. She fell and fell and fell until all I could hear was the echo of a scream as her twisting form turned into a black dot and eventually disappeared. I was left dangling precariously over the edge, the wheel of my stroller caught on the railing after she had nearly yanked me down with her, trying to save herself as second thoughts careened through her brain faster than her body careened to its end. It was there I stayed for seventeen whole hours, screaming and crying until somebody found me in the middle of the night and took me home with them. Did I say home? Excuse me, I should have said hell. I'll get to that in a second. I remember every single second of this horrific memory, and I re-live it every single night in my dreams. I used to wake up, screaming uncontrollably, writhing about on the bed, but learned very quickly that my new father would never tolerate it.

See, James Higgs was not your average man strolling through the woods at midnight. He was a part time child beater and full time drunk. I learned the hard way to shut the fuck up if I wanted to see my next meal, or my next day. I've been knocked unconscious, locked in freezers, tied up, burned, hit and punched more times than I can count, and far more than I care to remember, but I still do. The scars I have are few and far between, though they are very prominent, raised and angry. They hurt me constantly, like they never healed properly.

By the time I turned seventeen, this was all I knew. I would wake up, cook for him, go to school hungry, stop on my way home to steal liquor from some random store on the way back, bring it back to the little shack home we lived in, gave it to him in small doses as he gre progressively more and more drunk and as a result more and more angry. I would usually receive the metal end of his belt if I failed to get him his next glass soon enough. After he had finished the bottle, I would cook dinner and repeat the process the next day. James liked his Whiskey. It wasn't until High school that I realized this wasn't normal. None of the other kids were skinny like me, none of the other kids had strange bruises on their arms and legs, none of the other kids sometimes showed up at school with eye lids so swollen they couldn't see past them.

Other kids were lucky.

Other kids were loved.

Why wasn't I? My mother was suicidal up until the last ten seconds of her life, my "father" if you can even call him that is what nightmares are made of, and my friends? I had none of those. Nobody wanted to talk to the broken kid. Kids hated me, teenagers avoided me, adults didn't care. This was my life in California for sixteen years. Until one day. The day I became free.

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"Up, boy." the grizzled voice echoed through the tiny space I called my room. One too many cigars and shots of whisky had killed his throat long ago, so I identified it as I identified heat and a raised palm: painful. I flinched as I awoke, sitting up quickly and looking toward his standing form in the portal that had been my door before he had it removed, stomach heaving as I recovered from the nightly dose of terror my dreams dulled out like some kind of never ending drug supply. "Yes sir." I replied, standing without wiping the sleep out of my eyes and following him out of the room. "I'm sick and tired of this place." he said simply, his voice still gruff with sleep, though his drunkenness had clearly passed; he hadn't hit me yet. "I want some place new. I want a bigger place, with a front yard and big windows, some place that doesn't smell of dirt." He spat on the ground, glaring at the obtrusive substance that had collected over the years we'd been here. It had began to invade our shack, and since we had no electricity to speak of, it remained un cleaned mostly, beside when I'd used the tattered broom to sweep it through the back door, tired of stepping in it and more than tired of kicking up dust that tended to collect in my hair.

He moved through the door then, letting the screen clatter noisily to the jam without waiting for me to follow. I grabbed my shoes in the corner and followed him out toward the dusty white chevy that was currently idling in the front drive. He looked up then, cocking an eyebrow as I slipped my feet into the shoes, moving to open the door afterward. He hit the accelerator then, jumping forward before he stopped, rolling down the window with a laugh. "'Gonna have to be faster than that, Connor." He shouted, laughing at his own joke. He'd refused to call me by my real name. I had been Connor, Campbell, Collin, Calvin, everything but Cameron. It had stopped bothering me. I reached again for the handle, but he repeated the action with a great booming laugh that had me shaking with anger as I dove for the handle again, but he got the better of me again.

"If you don't get it the next time I'm gonna leave 'ya here." He chuckled, growing tired of his joke I expect. "Please," I started, reaching out again but he scooted again, slowly rolling forward. "Alrighty, see 'ya." He waved, letting the truck slowly accelerate while I started to run, making one final leap, connecting finally with the rear bumper as he accelerated faster, swerving to try and shake me off, laughing hysterically while I gritted my teeth, fighting with all I had to hang on. I hated this man with everything I had, every fiber of my being, but he was my life line. It would take three days to drive from the house to the main road, and twice that time to reach any kind of civilization. I had no money, no food or water… nothing. I needed this prick, and he knew it.

It had gone on for a mile, him slowly accelerating while I ran behind the truck before he started to drag me, then he _finally _stopped, let me walk around and settle myself in the passenger seat, chest heaving as I gulped down air like I'd never tasted it before. "We'll stop by the quick stop so you can grab me a bottle for the road. Get yourself a water or something." He said dismissively as he drove, tearing off down the dirt road too fast while I stared into the side mirror at the too-skinny teenager there. I resembled my mom, browned skin, straight black hair that I kept tied in a pony tail, brown eyes and a tired expression. I was native, I'd learned that from the kids at school, making that odd noise with their hands, pressing them to their lips quickly to make a tribal kind of sound as they giggled at me. I never really cared, but it was obvious what I was once we'd covered Native Americans, and again when I had been taught to read. See, my mom had intended to leave me with a few things to remember her by before she ended her life, stranding me with this dirt bag for sixteen years of my life.

Inside my little jacket were two things: a picture of our old family, my mother, who I presumed to be my real father, and me as an infant sitting on some piece of drift wood on a beach, beaming at a camera like happiness incarnate. She also left me a note, one explaining why she had done what she did, and where I came from. I removed the tattered piece of paper, torn in places, nearly ripped in half with its faded letters as I traveled the lines with my eyes. I didn't need to – I'd memorized the text long ago, but it was something I did to pass the time. It made me feel closer to her.

_Cameron,_

_I don't know how this letter finds you, but it is my hope that it finds you well. I hope it finds you cared for and most importantly I hope it finds you happy. I cannot possibly begin to justify my actions, to explain to you why I did why I did in a way that will make sense to you, but I'll do my best. _

_I had you in Washington, back in an old town called LaPush, a town filled with all kinds of legends and dreams that I can never begin to explain to you in a way that would do them justice in this note. I hope one day you will return there and listen to them for yourself, but this is not the reason I write this. _

_I left LaPush and Washington with you four months before writing you this letter, and it is because of that place that I do what I must do now. It is my deepest regret that I leave you without a mother and a father, but I cannot go on living without him, the love of my _

My hand traced the faded spot on the last word, a tear dropped long ago that still stains the page with its sadness. I rolled the paper up now, shoving it back into my pocket as I fought back my own tears. I couldn't bring myself to finish it – not now. Instead I busied myself with the road, watching it fly past at a steady pace as James continued on in silence.

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We drove for the entire day before he finally stopped for the bottle he'd meant to get hours ago, stopping the car in the middle of some town I didn't care to recognize outside some run down gas station. I heaved a sigh as the little bell rang and I stepped into the place. It had a couple cameras set up in choice places, but nothing that would matter once I started running – I was faster than the greasy man behind the counter who sat back, chewing on jerky while watching the T.V beside him. He nodded at me as I walked in, but otherwise paid me no mind as I drifted off toward the back of the store, grabbing a bottle of Gatorade with a frown. I'd never had it before. I looked back at the man, making sure he wasn't watching before I unwrapped the thing and unscrewed the little cap, taking a drink and shivering in delight at the sugary substance, swallowing it greedily before draining the entire bottle.

Setting the empty container down under the lip of the fridge, I grabbed a bottle of water and moved toward the liquor with a sigh, perusing the single shelf with pursed lips. I grabbed the bottle of Jack Daniels and made to slip the nozzle up my sweater sleeve when I heard a honk. I looked out the window behind me to see the white Chevy peel out of the drive way, music cranked as my care taker left me here in this run down little gas station with a bottle of whisky in my hand and a terrified expression on my face. This he had never done before. He never left me when his booze was at risk – he was really leaving me here. As realization dawned on me I couldn't help but nearly drop the bottle.

I was free?


	2. Chapter 2 - Imposition

**Authors Note: Chapter two comin' at 'ya. In the next chapter you'll get a better peak into Cameron's life, but for now I decided to show you what he's capable of on his own. If you enjoy this chapter, please leave a review, they inspire me to write more. **

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I in no way shape or form claim to own any of the original ideas created by the brilliant mind of Stephanie Meyer. This story is simply my own humble addition to the already fantastic universe that is Twilight.**

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In all my life, never have I felt so many emotions at once. The usual ones were there; fear, anxiety, and other general stress causers. But beneath that, perhaps running more deeply even than my fear for my... Care taker? I suppose that's what he had been though admittedly he was batshit insane. Underneath that fear lie a subtle excitement. I was free, so what would I do with that freedom? I could do anything.

I was yanked out of my reverie as the Indian man yelled at me from behind the counter, "You going to buy something or sit around my store all day?" he demanded, saying something else in a language I didn't understand before returning his attention to the TV. Obviously I had no money, so what would I do? "I was wondering..." I spoke slowly, moving toward the register. "What state am I in?" I frowned when he looked at me like I was crazy. "You are in Portland Oregon. Now buy something or get out." he glared at me before returning his gaze yet again to the television. There was a boxing match on or something... I couldn't tell. There were several things I would need if I was to make the distance between two states. The first of which was the map that I grabbed from the counter, moving to the back of the store away from his eyes and the eyes of the cameras to examine it.

I lay it out on a big food pallet used for transporting goods and traced the map with my finger. He'd let me go to school at least, so I could read a map and according to this, I was nearly three hundred miles from where I wanted to go. Awesome. I folded the map again and spotted a small backpack hanging there beside me. I pursed my lips and grabbed the thing, emptying it of all the little tags and cardboard things that they had stuck inside it, hiding them from sight inside the pallets and moving back to the fridges.

There was nothing I hated more than stealing, and being forced to do it had made me hate it worse. But I was very good at it. I grabbed essentials only: five bottles of water, a couple packs of crackers and potato chips, the cheapest I could find. In total I was stealing about forty dollars from the guy. I grabbed a couple packages of jerky and tossed those along with everything else in the pack, they would provide enough protein and energy to keep me going for a while. After that, I returned to the corner. I had all I needed; I could survive for weeks on this stuff. I needed money, though. I was not about to rob the guy, so deciding not to press my luck, I slipped into the storage room quietly and found the back exit used for bringing in larger crates of food and drinks where I tossed the bag out and returned to the front. I grabbed a Gatorade and took it to the cashier, setting it on the counter while giving him a meek smile. He gave me the price and I reached into my pocket, then pretended to have forgotten my wallet. "Out! Get out!" he shouted, and I booked it out the door, leaving the decoy drink behind me.

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It had turned night time somewhere along the way, but it hadn't stopped me from walking for another hour in the general direction of my destination. I ended up stopping at one of those bus stops with the overhangs; half boxed in save for the front of it. I curled up in a corner, hugging my knees to my chest and tried desperately to wait for my body heat to warm up the tiny corner I'd found myself before falling into an uneasy sleep.

I jumped to a start, taking huge gulping breaths as a large diesel truck drove past me, shaking the little box I'd found violently. As distance grew, I relaxed back into the corner, shivering as the sound faded off into the background, recollecting myself from my awakening and my dream. I was sweating despite how cold I was. I took a small drink of water and ate a couple crackers before slinging my backpack over my shoulder and continued shuffling along, rubbing my hands along my arms, trying to create some heat with the friction for another few hours, stopping only to check sign posts. I was going to have to ask somebody for help, hopefully there was somebody in this place kind of enough to help me out as opposed to telling me to piss off. After all, not everybody was James, right?

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Eventually I came to a little neighborhood somewhere in the next three hours, and the sun was shining brightly now, warming me up and giving people reason to stir in their houses. There were a few children running about, playing on bikes and scooters, some of them laying on the sidewalk, and drawing absentmindedly. I had always liked little kids, they weren't old enough to judge you yet, and happiness seemed to radiate off of them. It was relaxing. I'd always wanted kids, simply so that I could be a father to them, a proper one with a proper wife to complete the picture in my pocket in some way. I longed for the happiness that the dream promised me, but shook it off and started toward one of the houses, leaving those errant thought behind me.

The house I chose was honestly beautiful in comparison to every other place I'd ever lived in. Then again it wasn't hard to beat run down shacks and abandoned buildings. The outside walls were a cream color that set off the pale colored roofing in a way that seemed to warm your eyes. There was a large garage to my left that would probably fit two compact cars, and a large walkway through a perfectly trimmed lawn lined with beautiful flowers of all kinds that I could never remember the names of. A few small trees scattered throughout the place, leading over to a side yard I couldn't see. I walked up the path to the large oak door, and took a deep breath. Asking for help was against every single impulse I had in me, it never ended well. Regardless, I knocked three times on the door and hoped to any god that would listen that I would receive an answer.

The woman that opened the door was beautiful, honey blonde hair, blue eyes that seemed to be endless in their depth and a half smile that promised things I couldn't even begin to dream of. She was everything I would expect a mother to be, and my eyes drifted down to see the young girl hugging to her leg. I offered an apologetic smile, returning my gaze to her. Her eyes widened, probably taking in the state of me. I was undoubtedly filthy; my clothes were too small, the jeans filled with holes and the black shirt barely long enough to reach the waist line of my pants. My shoes were ragged as well, but they didn't bother me as much as the clothes did. The unzipped navy blue jacket was also dirty and worn, but it was still warm. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could ask you a question." I spoke quietly, looking away from her eyes toward the ground. I'd been taught the hard way to maintain eye contact with the ground and speak in a manner that wouldn't make James angry, so this was second nature to me.

She answered in a stressed voice, one that gave me fond memories of my mother's face. "Of course, please come in!" she opened the door and the room up to me widely. I knitted my eyebrows together before scraping the souls of my shoes on the walkway – I didn't want to track dirt inside her impeccably clean house. "Thank you so much." I said, following her through the house and into the kitchen. The house inside was incredible, even more so than the outside. Beige colored carpets stretched from wall to wall, splitting off into rooms I doubted I'd ever see. She led me through a living room with a large flat screen television, full stereo system, a fire place, two large couches and a couple laptops. Needless to say I'd never been in a house as large or nice as this one. She smiled at my wide-eyed expression, leading me to the large oak dining room table. She motioned for me to sit on one of the chairs while she took the one across from me and nudged her daughter off to go play in the backyard where I could just see a swimming pool, and a large dog.

"Your house is beautiful." I said when she returned her concerned gaze to my face. I kept mine on the table. "I'm sorry to ask what I'm going to, it's incredibly imposing, but I really don't have a choice at this point." I took a shaky breath before I spoke again a few minutes later.

"I need to get to Washington."

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**Ending Note: Betcha' didn't expect him to go to Washington in a story about Twilight, huh? Yeah it's not much of a reveal, but whatever. Hope you enjoyed nonetheless. **


	3. Chapter 3 - Progress

**Authors Note: Chapter three comin' at 'ya. Thanks to the two of you who followed and Favorited the story, I can't begin express how much I appreciate it. **

**Disclaimer: I in no way shape or form claim to own any of the original ideas created by the brilliant mind of Stephanie Meyer. This story is simply my own humble addition to the already fantastic universe that is Twilight.**

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"Washington?" she frowned at me now, though I maintained my gaze on the flower printed table cloth. "Why Washington?" she asked when I didn't respond. Well, that was certainly better than a straight up no, but how to make her understand? I suppose the truth couldn't hurt.

"I'm originally from Washington, a place called LaPush." I explained, looking up at her now. "It's kind of a long story… do you have time?" I folded my fingers together when she nodded and took a deep breath. "Like I said, I was born there. When I was about two and a half, my father died. I'm not sure how, I think he wrecked his motorcycle or something. My mom never elaborated. Anyways, after that happened my mom kind of went out of her mind with grief. She took us to California to move into an apartment, trying to get away from everything, you know?" I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. This was the part I didn't like talking about. Or thinking about. Or dreaming about. I looked out of the back window, watching her daughter play with the dog, a husky it looked like.

"It didn't help. We stayed there for three months, she was working a job as a cashier or something to keep us afloat, nothing spectacular but it was enough to get us by. Eventually she decided she couldn't do it anymore." I paused, swallowing at the newly formed lump in my throat. "She drove us out to a place in the mountains. Very isolated, lots of trees and greenery… it was a lot like the part of Washington I'm from, actually. Anyways, she drove us out to a small bar near the area, parked the car and put me in my stroller then walked us out a ways to a bridge. Large bridge, huge drop. People usually bungee jump off of it." I heard her intake of breath and turned to give her an apologetic smile. "You get the idea. She left me there on the sidewalk in the middle of the day, hoping I'd be found and taken somewhere. The problem was she nearly pulled me over with her, second thoughts I guess. I was kind of dangling over, so I was able to watch…" I cut myself off that time, returning to my seat and somehow managing to suppress the tears that threatened to spill over.

"Honey, I'm so sorry…" she said, reaching out a hand to place on top of mine, but quickly withdrew it as I flinched. "It's fine. It doesn't bother me so bad anymore." That was a lie. "Anyways, a guy ended up finding me there, miraculously dangling over the side of this bridge, some how not falling over after an entire day. He was nice enough, kept me fed, all that stuff. Life wasn't so bad until I was able to walk and talk at around six years old. He became very violent. He drunk a lot… I won't go into detail but I'll just kind of sum up the whole experience by saying these clothes," I pulled at the shirt with a wry smile. "I've been wearing them for something like four years. Anyways, last night he got tired of me, I guess. He ditched me at a gas station a few hours up the road and essentially left me to my own devices." That was enough detail, definitely enough to get the point across. I didn't need to go into the physical and mental abuse the man caused me, it was too much to talk about and too much to even remember.

"I just want to go back home, but I… I have no money, no food, no transportation…" I trailed off, swallowing back a few more tears before I continued. "It would take me too long to walk. Months, assuming I could even make it. I'm pretty good at keeping myself alive, but I can't keep it up for that long. I'm not asking for the world here, just a little bit of cash to get me going. A quarter of the way there or something. I can figure something else out from there. Any help you could offer me would be just…" she cut me off, appearing suddenly around the table and pulling me into a hug I couldn't just flinch out of, her tears leaving little stains on my already ragged shirt. "Of course I'll help you, you poor kid." She said, sniffing as she released me. I hadn't noticed I was crying too until she wiped the tear from my cheek. "Tell you what. You go on into the bathroom, get cleaned up, take a nice shower and I'll bring you up a change of clothes." I nodded slowly, unable to express my thanks or even form a coherent sentence at that point.

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After a long shower, a change of clothes and even a quick shave later, I stepped back into the dining room to probably the greatest thing I'd ever smelled in my life. She had cooked breakfast while I was showering. She waved me over to the table just as she set down a plate of waffles down in front of a chair. I followed the smell of blue berries and sat myself down, cutting into them and taking a slow bite with a happy sigh. "Thank you." I said, turning to watch her as she set down another plate with some bacon and sausage on it. "Not at all." She smiled in return before moving to the back door. "Lizzie, breakfast!" she called out.

Thirty minutes passed and I sat back in my chair with a smile on my face. "That was amazing." I said to her as she finished off her own meal. "Thank you." She simply smiled in return. For the first time in… I think ever, I actually felt full. Like truly full, almost too full. I'd only eaten two waffles and a few pieces of bacon, but my stomach was so unused to actual food that I filled up obscenely quickly. Still, I had eaten very slowly, savoring every last bit of it. Eventually, she cleaned up after us and led me to the living room while her daughter went back to her room, probably going to play or something. "Let me see how much this is gonna cost before I tell you yes or no." she said, setting herself down on the couch and grabbing a laptop with a pink faceplate. I nodded and set myself down on the other couch, letting my head rest on the back, listening to the rhythmic clicking sounds of her typing. Before I knew what was happening, I had fallen asleep.

And for the first time in my life I didn't dream.

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"Honey, it's time to wake up." I awoke to her voice and a gentle nudge, flitting my eyes open slowly. I hadn't dreamed. Why hadn't I dreamed? I looked up at her before rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pass out on you like that." I yawned, sitting up on the couch. She was holding an iPad when she sat herself down beside me, moving the device over to me. "So I did the research online," she offered me the tablet, which I took. Moving my finger around on the screen, I was able to find the route that would take me from Portland to a bus stop in Aberdeen. "It'll take about two hours to get to the first stop on the Amtrak, another hour or so between the two other stops, then it's a short walk to another bus stop nearby, but by then you'll be on the Reservation" she held out a few pieces of paper for me to grab. "These are tickets I printed out. When you board all of these you'll be where you need to."

I was absolutely floored. Never in a million years would I have expected this kindness from somebody, especially not some stranger I had met only a few hours ago. "I don't know what to say…" she smiled then, taking the iPad and setting it on the table in front of me. "Don't say a thing, it's my pleasure. You've had a hard life. What kind of person would I be if I made it even harder by telling you no when I can so easily tell you yes instead?" she patted my shoulder before standing and walking to an end table where she grabbed a purse. "It honestly didn't run me that much anyways. My husband and I are very fortunate, we're pretty well off. It's no problem at all." She handed me another couple pieces of paper – the most money I'd ever held in my hand. "There's a hundred and twenty dollars to get some food and clothing. It's the most I can offer after buying the tickets, so you'll have to work out where to go after that, unfortunately." I shook my head, pocketing the things. "You've done so much more than I ever expected, I don't know how to thank you." Her smile widened. "Not at all. Now the train leaves in three and a half hours, I'll give you a ride down there in a couple of hours and you can be on your way. In the mean time I was hoping you'd help me with a few things around the house?"

And I did. I skimmed her pool and raked her lawn, mowed the whole thing front to back though they didn't need it, swept her porch and had just sat down beside her dog when she poked her head out the sliding glass door. "I'm getting ready now. We'll leave in fifteen minutes." I nodded in response and she disappeared back into the house. I looked out on the yard, significantly cleaner now, when her dog approached me. "Hey there, big guy." I said, leaning forward in my chair. It approached me slowly, sniffing my extended hand. Apparently it decided I was okay, because he was practically in my lap by the time she came back outside. "Malcolm's taken a liking to you." She laughed as the dog ran over to her. "Thank you for the help, it looks great out here, uh…" she pursed her lips. "Cameron." I supplied, standing and brushing myself off. She smiled again. "Lindsey. C'mon." she waved me through the door as Malcolm ran back into the yard to play. I'd have to get a dog some day, just like him. He was nice.

* * *

We stopped at the Amtrak a short while later. I stepped out of the passenger seat of the car and around to where she sat. "Thank you so much, for everything." She shook her head, holding out another piece of paper. "This is my cell phone number. Give me a call when you get the chance, I'd like to hear you're okay." I nodded, reaching into the window to give her a hug. "I will. Thank you again." I waved to her and her daughter who had climbed into the front seat before I disappeared into the building, looking around for somebody to talk to while pocketing the number.

I would definitely call her at some point.


	4. Chapter 4 - Oddity

**Authors Note: Chapter Four, hot off the press and comin' at 'ya! We get introduced to a new character this time along with some more character development. Our protagonist reaches his destination, but his journey is far from over. I hope you enjoy it, if you did let me know by leaving a review! I'm dying to know what people think of this. DYING I TELL YOU!**

**Disclaimer: I in no way shape or form claim to own any of the original ideas created by the brilliand mind of Stephanie Meyer. This story is simply my own humble addition to the already fantastic universe that is Twilight. **

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My journey went on without a hitch. I boarded the Amtrak at nine forty five, got off an hour or two later to board another and repeated the process until I had arrived in Aberdeen, tired and more than a little hungry. My bus had another thirty minutes before it was supposed to show up, so I decided it would be best not to risk missing it with needless exploring and simply wait for it at the bus stop.

I set myself down with a yawn, reaching into my backpack to grab a packet of jerky. I still had a good amount of the food I had bought left; I'd barely eaten any of it thanks to the breakfast Lindsey had made me. That would be good considering I'd be homeless for a while… a long while, actually. Hopefully the school there would accept me, I only had one more year of high school to complete before I had my diploma, and as a homeless kid it was something I really couldn't afford to not have. I'd also have to find out what kind of jobs were in the area and see about getting one set up for myself… unfortunately I'd never had a job before, so that would certainly hinder the search quite a bit, and my having no car would definitely be a problem. On top of all of that, I still had to find out where my parents lived, what happened to my father and what became of their house.

I ate my jerky slowly, laying out on the bench so that I could look at the clouds as they passed by. This place was apparently very rainy, and constantly overcast. I could handle that, so long as the nights weren't too cold. I looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching and noticed a girl about my age walking over to where I was. "That seat taken?" she asked while I gawked at her. "No, sorry. I wasn't expecting anybody to be here this early." I replied while sitting up and scooting myself to the far end of the bench. She sat herself down opposite and we lapsed back into silence while I continued to eat my food. She was pretty, there was no denying that. Had I been a normal teenage boy, I'd probably be sparking up some kind of conversation with her. Instead, I sat in silence, letting my head rest against the back of the bench while I continued to watch the clouds. I had no reason to talk to her and she had no reason to talk to me. So when she did, it kind of caught me off guard.

"May I?" I cocked an eyebrow at her extended hand, following her gaze to the bag in my hand. I held it out to her, letting her take a few pieces before we lapsed back into silence for the next few minutes. The bus should be here soon. "So do you live in Oregon?" she asked suddenly, shifting to the side so her crossed legs rested on the bench while she stared at me. I responded with something really intelligent sounding like "Huh?" a small smile spread across her lips at my less than stellar response. "Oregon. Do you live there? I was on the train, too. I saw you." I frowned at this knowledge. "I'm coming from California, actually." She nodded slowly at this, taking a bite from the jerky in her hand. "That's cool. Why the sudden move?"

"Personal reasons." I responded with a shrug, turning to face her as well, slipping the unfinished bag of jerky into my pack and setting it beside me on the ground while I hugged my knees to my chest. "Daddy issues." I supplied sarcastically, earning a laugh from her. Maybe she wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

"So La Push, huh?"

"Yeah, I was actually born there. My mom took me to California when I was like three or something."

"Your mom? Is she with you? I didn't see her on the train."

I had expected the question, but it didn't stop the sour taste in my mouth when I responded; "She died." No need to elaborate on that any further.

"Ah…" her response was a frown as she turned to look at the cars driving past us. Certainly better than an apology, I suppose. She'd had nothing to do with it.

"Yeah." I sighed, following her gaze to the street.

"How old were you?"

"Three." Her eyes widened at that, but she didn't ask me any questions.

"Sounds rough." She sighed, shifting her position to resemble my own; knees to chest, arms wrapped around them. I just shrugged. "And your dad…" I shook my head.

"I never knew him. My biological father died before I was even two. I can't even remember his face." That was a lie, I had a picture of him. I still didn't recognize him, though and that was something that bothered me greatly.

"But you said you left Oregon because of 'daddy issues'" she used air quotes, eyeing me quizzically.

"I guess he would be my adoptive father… I don't know, I don't really consider him one." I shrugged while she knitted eyebrows together as she mulled that one over. I doubted she'd connect the dots.

"But… never mind, it's really none of my business."

I certainly couldn't argue that. I hated talking about the man and I especially pretending he was something he wasn't; a father. "Suffice it to say we disagreed with each other and parted ways. I'm on my own, I guess. I'm just trying to piece together the earlier parts of my history, maybe find out what kind of man my real father was." She nodded slowly at that, but didn't elaborate further as we lapsed again into silence.

The bus pulled up a short while later, and we boarded together. We were the first ones on though a few others had begun to gather at the stop, some taking seats between us to wait for the bus to arrive just like we were. We got on one after the other and made our way to the back, sitting across the aisle from one another around the middle of the bus. For the most part, everybody was quiet. I ended up letting my head rest against the chair, closing my eyes. I was seriously tired. "I'm from the same area, you know." She said suddenly. I let my head roll over on to my shoulder and peered at her through half lidded eyes. "That so?"

"Yeah. I live in Forks, it's just outside the reservation." She explained, offering a small smile. I shrugged my shoulders in response, opening my eyes the rest of the way. "That's pretty cool. How close are you to the boarder?" she knitted her eyebrows again, kind of a cute way of her showing that she was thinking. "Not too far. The main entrance is like a mile or something away from my place. The bus stops in a transit center somewhere in forks in like two hours. Are you gonna take the next bus to La Push?" she asked, never breaking eye contact. I reached into my pocket where the tickets had been, and removed only the piece of paper with Lindsey's number before putting it back in my pocket. "Nah, this transit whatever is as far as I could afford to go." I shrugged. I'd have to walk the rest of the way, no big deal.

"Well you've got a long walk ahead of you, then." She sighed, leaning back into the chair with a stretch.

"Guess so." I responded shortly, earning a scowl from her. "What's with the sudden stick up your ass?" I quirked an eyebrow and lifted my head to look at her. "I'm tired, my back hurts, I'm tired, I'm stressed and I'm tired." I answered plainly, earning a muffled laugh. "Good reasons." She replied simply, looking away from me and out the window, lapsing into silence for the rest of the bus ride.

* * *

With a stretch and a yawn, I sat myself down on the bench at the next stop with a sigh. Today was going to be a long one. I still need to find some kind of shelter, a decent source of food, sign up for school and do all the other research on my family on top of everything else. I was way in over my head. I felt her sit down beside me again, much closer this time though I didn't open my eyes to see just how close. I could feel her thigh against mine, which sent off all kinds of alarms in my brain causing me to cringe away from her briefly before relaxing again. "Sorry." I said quietly, opening my eyes to look at her. She shrugged in response, choosing not to question it though I could tell she was intensely curious. "You're funny." She said simply, looking at me intently.

"In what way?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"You're just odd. Nothing about you seems normal, or even simple. I get the feeling you're kind of complicated."

"You have no idea." I laughed in response, shifting uncomfortably. I still wasn't a fan of this close proximity thing, though I suppose it was better with her than other unfavorable people in my life. Or out of my life. Definitely not getting over that little miracle any time soon.

She shrugged at me, scooting slightly away from me to give me more space, which I was immensely grateful for. She seemed to notice, because her answering smile was blinding. "I've decided you're going to be my friend." She said abruptly, reaching out and grabbing my hand, which I quickly yanked out of her grip in my hurry to stand up and put distance between us, my body shaking slightly. She held up her hands in a surrender, her eyebrows receding into her hairline with her surprise. "It's okay, I'm just going to write something on your palm." She grabbed a green marker from her pocket to show me. I gave her a stiff nod and sat back down, offering her my hand which she took immediately and began writing on. "This is the number for my cell and my address. Give me a call when you get settled in, I'll show you around Forks or something" she pocketed the marker again, then started blowing lightly on my palm to dry the ink.

"You're funny, too." I said with a laugh, earning a giggle from her as she dropped my hand, though the tension had already released from my shoulders before she let go. "Yeah, I'm great. You'll find that out some day. Later, stranger!" she jogged off toward the sidewalk to my left and stepped into the passenger seat of a police cruiser, which drove away immediately in the direction of Forks. So her relative was an officer, huh? Well that was certainly an interesting chain of events. I examined the numbers on my palm with a grunt before following her example, standing and starting my walk to La Push. "Anna, huh?" I spoke aloud to myself, shoving my hands into the pockets of my sweater. You're certainly an interesting girl, Anna.

* * *

It was something like four hours later that I arrived on the Reservation. I knew it was the place just by the change in the houses and the odd sense of completion I felt when I stepped across the invisible boarder. This place felt like home should, it felt safe. I felt like I belonged here in a way I could never explain. Hopefully that feeling would be enough to get me somewhere, because I was still homeless. Which sucked. With a heavy sigh and a small stretch, I walked farther down the single road, deeper into the town and toward the only place I had found iconic about the place, the only thing on the map Lindsey had showed me that looked relatively interesting: The beach.

Thirty minutes spent sitting at the water's edge and wandering around on the sand had lead me to a couple conclusions. First and foremost, I would be sleeping in the forest tonight. There was a small grove a little inward that I could take residence in. It was out of the way, people more than likely wouldn't come in there for no apparent reason, and any animals inside the density of the trees would be unlikely to venture so far out. I was just inside the trees, the ocean had disappeared behind the view of a large rock that I now sat against, laying my head back on the hardness of it with a sigh. It wasn't much but it would do. I took a drink of water while I considered the rest of what I had thought of. To start with, I'd have to make a visit with the school first thing in the morning. I was native technically, I was from here, technically so they would have no reason to deny my entry. Except for the fact that I was homeless. That would probably be hard to explain. Again. After that was said and done, I'd make a visit to whatever library was in the area. Hopefully there were some kind of documents I could find on my parents, maybe find out where they lived and what had happened to the house. Hopefully it was still standing… then again living through memories I didn't have wouldn't be a lot of fun. Secretly I think I was hoping it would have been demolished or something.

Lastly, I'd have to see about a job. Something part time, maybe over the weekend or after school, just enough to get myself some petty cash that I could save up for some kind of food. With any luck this job would pay well enough for me to actually live on, maybe I could get an apartment or something. Nothing fancy, just something to get me by. I would be able to survive on the jerky and crackers I had left for about a week, so that wasn't a huge concern. I'd be hungry a lot and wouldn't have a ton of energy, but it'd work.

With all that in mind, I settled myself down against the rock, using my backpack as a bit of a cushion for my back while I pulled my arms into the sleeves of my sweater, and crossed them underneath. Not comfortable, but at least I was warmer than I would normally be.

That is, if it hadn't started raining.

It's official, God hates me.


	5. Chapter 5 - Emotion

**Authors Note: Chapter Five! We're certainly making some progress, now aren't we? I apologize for my lack of posting yesterday - I wasn't feeling well. So, to compensate, I'll post this one today, and another tomorrow to make up for it. All that aside, I hope you enjoy this chapter - I enjoyed writing it. So without further ado, Chapter Five comin' at 'ya!**

**Disclaimer: I in no way shape or form claim to own any original ideas created by the brilliant mind of Stephanie Meyer. This story is simply my own humble addition to the already fantastic universe that is Twilight.**

* * *

It rained all throughout the night. The only solace I took was in the fact that it was a very light rain, just barely more than sprinkles, and it had ended at like three in the morning. But by the time I woke up for the umpteenth time when the sun had finally begun to climb, I was still very wet. So, shivering and wet, I stood and stepped out from my little area and looked out at the water. A light breeze was playing across the sand and water, sending the pleasant smell of salt water toward my face along with a bit more chill than I was expecting. I shoved my hands out through the sleeves of my sweater again and started to run back toward the street, near where I had originally came in The idea was to heat myself up, but I only managed to make the cold worse. By the time I made it to the road, my face was stinging from the wind and my arms were shaking a lot worse. Still, it made no difference. My goals were the same.

* * *

By the time I managed to find the school something like an hour later, my clothes were a lot dryer, though still somewhat damp. Hopefully a cold wouldn't hit me, I could be in some serious trouble if it did. School hadn't started yet, though the teachers were all beginning to arrive. Needless to say, they were a bit surprised to see a kid there at six thirty in the morning when school was two hours from starting. It didn't help that none of them knew me and my clothes were still wet. I knocked lightly on the door of the principal's office after a few minutes of wandering around looking for it, enjoying the heated air immensely.

After a long conversation, some paper work, and more than enough questions later, I stepped out of the office feeling much better with a paper cup held in my hand with some coffee in it. I sipped the drink as I walked toward the school's exit. Starting next week, I would be the schools new student. I'd had to dredge up old memories again, but because I was originally from La Push, she was able to get me a spot. They were already half way through the school year, but I'd been forced to leave my old school about half way through anyways, so it was a simple matter of making up the credits. She'd have to make a call and get my files from the other school, but I was a perfect student. My grades were above average because all I was able to do was school when I was living with James, so it was the only thing I had to distract myself. It had been fun to me when nothing else was, despite the teasing.

It also helped that she knew my last name, though knew nothing about my parents. Apparently my grandparents were well known around here before they passed. Another thing I'd have to look into. The front area with all the lockers had gotten crowded by the time I was finished talking with the principle, so I made my way through the students there toward the door. Nobody noticed me thankfully, drawing attention to myself was always a bad thing. Still, I couldn't help but notice all of them. A school full of native kids was definitely an oddity to somebody from a school wherein the ethnicity had been almost completely white with a few stragglers in between. The majority of them looked pretty average, though I had noticed a couple of the guys seemed to be much larger than the rest. Almost adult like, even… very strange.

I stepped back into the chilly morning air with a sigh as I finished off the coffee and dropped it into a waste bin. Next stop was the library, wherever that was. The principle had been kind enough to give me directions to the right place, so I started my way down the street, thankful again that this was such a small town. I'd need a few things from the place, and I wasn't entirely sure if they'd be able to help me with everything. For one, I was hoping they would have documentation of my birth certificate as well as the birth and death information on my father. If possible I'd get both sets of my grandparents on top of all that. For two, I needed a map of the area, some kind of in depth map I could use to make my way around the place without having to ask people for help. It was getting old trying to explain why I knew nothing about the layout of the little town, and I could probably use it to find out some kind of average for rainy days in this place. I'd make a point to get some kind of shelter going.

Finally, I wanted to find a book on the legends this place had. My mom had asked me to come back here in her letter, which I had done. She also asked me to learn about the legends this place had, something about tribal protectors and Spirit Warriors. It normally wouldn't have interested me very much, but there was a reason she wanted me to learn about this stuff, and I was determined to find out why. I had to piece together as much of my past as possible.

The only thing left to do after the trip to the library was finding a job, which the map I was looking for would be able to help me with. I could learn about all the local businesses and start applying in the hopes that they would be able to offer me a part time job. Something flexible, and something hopefully close to the beach. If I could find a job, then I'd be able to feed and clothe myself in a couple weeks when I get my first paycheck. I'd have to work my ass off, but it'd work itself out, somehow. I had to catch a break sometime, right?

Another small walk later, I stood before a short, wide stone building with a long walkway leading up to two automated glass doors. It was small, but still remarkably well built. This place must put a lot of stock into literature. I made the short walk up and into the building, coming to a stop at the interior. It was nice and warm like the school had been, but much quieter. I suddenly felt very tired. I could probably sleep the whole day away here, but I had more important things to do.

I perused the isles, looking around for anything mentioning documentation, but figured I'd have more luck asking one of the librarians on that particular subject before I made my way over to the fiction section. There was bound to be something on the Quileute legends here, after all I was on the Quileute reservation. Still, my search rended no results and I was left a little more than disappointed. With a sigh, I made my way over to the front desk to talk to the older blonde woman sitting at a computer. "Excuse me?" she looked up at my voice and smiled.

"Hello there, how may I help you?"

"I was curious about a few things, actually. For starters, I was wondering what kind of personal documentation you guys keep here, if any?"

"Personal documentation… birth and death certificates, that what you're after?" she asked, moving her hands across her keyboard. I nodded and she began her search.

"Last name?"

"Davis. I'm looking for Cameron, Paige and Eric." I told her, leaning against the desk while she searched.

"I have birth certificates for Cameron and Eric, but none on Paige, as well as a death certificate for Eric." I nodded at this, somewhat surprised at my mother's lack of documentation.

"Can I have a copy of each?" I was kind of reaching here, so her response didn't surprise me much.

"I can give you your own certificate, I have a photo I.D here of you, but I can't give you Eric's. You can have his Death certificate, it's public documentation at this point, but birth is completely out of the question."

"Well, that's better than nothing. Can you print those for me?"

She printed out the two documents and offered them, freshly laminated inside a manila envelope to me. "Are there any other's with the last name 'Davis'?" I asked, pursing my lips. "Grandparents?" she guessed, earning a nod from me while she searched. "I have a William as well as a Judith, birth and death. But they're private documents, unfortunately." She gave me an apologetic smile, at which I sighed. So much for learning about my grandparents. Maybe I'd be able to work around the blockade someday, find some way to get it by birth right or whatever. Probably when I'm older. "Hold on a second." She said, catching me off guard. "There's a will here for Eric. Would you like a copy of that, too?" I nodded, curious as to what could be written there. She printed out another document and offered it to me. "Was there anything else, sir?" she asked, closing out the searches on her computer.

"Yes actually, two more things. I was wondering if you have some kind of map of the area that I could use. I haven't lived here since I was born, so I don't know the layout very well." She pursed her lips at the request, doing a small search though I knew there wouldn't be anything before she even pressed enter. "No, I'm sorry. There's never really been a need for such a thing here. I recommend taking a walk around the place, it shouldn't take you more than three or so hours, and you'll have it pretty well memorized." She suggested, closing the search again. "Ah well, worth a shot. The other thing was a record, or some kind of book about the local legends here?" she perked up at mention of this and reached over beside her, grabbing an older looking leather bound book. "This would be your best bet for anything like that. I checked it out myself a few weeks ago. You're in luck, I just returned it today." She held out the book for me and I examined it with a small smile. At least I had made some progress. "Thank you, very much." I smiled.

A few minutes later I'd been given a library card and a return date and was on my way out the door, my backpack significantly heavier. Definite progress, the only thing left was to find a job and then get to reading… I was particularly interested in the will. So interested in fact, that I took a seat at one of the picnic tables out on the grass and unfolded the crisp paper curiously.

* * *

Last Will and Testament

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF

Eric Davis

I, Eric Davis, an adult of Twenty Three years old, being of sound mind, declare this to be my Last Will and Testament. I revoke all wills and codicils made by me.

ARTICLE I

I appoint Billy Black as my Personal Representative to administer this Will, and ask that he be permitted to serve without Court supervision and without posting bond. If Billy Black is unwilling or unable to serve, then I appoint Harry Clearwater to serve as my Personal Representative, and ask that he be permitted to serve without Court supervision and without posting bond.

* * *

Billy Black and Harry Clearwater? I didn't know those names, though the last name Black resonated with some kind of memory somewhere in the back of my mind. I'd worry about it later. The second article of the will was nothing but legal mumbo-jumbo I didn't understand, something about paying any due debts or whatever. I didn't pay this too much mind, though I read the lines greedily, taking in any information they could hold about this man I knew nothing about. When I moved over to Article Three, I think my heart actually stopped as I read the lines, written in my fathers messy scrawl that resembled my own.

* * *

ARTICLE III

I devise, bequeath, and give all of my belongings to my wife, Paige Anne Davis. In the event that something should happen to her as well, I devise, bequeath and give all of my belongings to my son, Cameron Davis the moment he turns eighteen on October Fifth, Two Thousand Five.

* * *

I had turned eighteen last year, so by all rights, according to this, I owned everything he had owned. But what did that mean? I flipped the paper over, hoping to find more, but there was nothing, so I re-read the entire thing top to bottom two more times before I finally set it down, running my hands through my hair while I fought back the emotion threatening to spill over. I was happy. Happy that he had loved me, that he had remembered me and that I had once been somebody of importance in his life. I was happy that he had remembered me when he wrote this, and I was happy that I had something to remember him by. Shelter was nice, too but it was nothing compared to this knowledge. I would happily sleep on a rock for the rest of my days to feel the closeness I felt now.

On top of happy, I was sad. I was sad that I had never met him, and that I would never meet him. I was sad that he hadn't been there to see me grow older, to save me from all the hardships I'd had to endure, to turn my anxiety that I felt every waking moment of every day into something that resembled a kind of peace and happiness. I was sad that I hadn't gotten the opportunity to love him like the father, the true father, he would have been for me.

Beyond all of that, though, something that startled me, even scared me, was the deep blinding anger that I felt. Anger at everything from James to the air I breathed. I was angry that my family was gone, that I had nothing left, that I was literally alone in a world that didn't care about me or my life, or lack thereof. I was angry that my father had no idea what my mother had become when he died, I was angry that he had to die in the first place. I was angry at life, at everything. My vision blurred and my arms shook violently, it felt like I was going to explode until I finally gripped the edge of the wooden table as hard as I possibly could, startling myself as I heard the wood grind under my grip. I willed the shaking to stop and willed myself to take deep calming breaths. Seconds later I was leaning against the table for support as I took deep gasping breaths. The overwhelming emotion had drained me, and controlling it had felt like putting my head in a vice. My head was pounding as I slowly came back down to earth, where I became immediately thankful that nobody had been around to witness that. Except… there had been. I turned around from the table, releasing it quickly before I almost climbed up on top of it in surprise.

Why is this wolf staring at me?

And why is it the size of a god damn horse?

* * *

**Ending Note: I hate doing these. I'd rather you have time to absorb the chapter before you read the next one, but I have something to write here that couldn't be put at the beginning. Namely, the documents, the way the school system works in this and Eric's Will. Yes, I decided to give him a house to live in. It wont be a lot, and he doesn't know where it is yet, there'll have to be a bit of exploring before then, but I wanted him to have some semblance of stability. **

**Beside that, I hope you don't mind how I did things with this chapter. The school thing is necessary to his growth as an adult and it was the only way I could think of doing it that made sense.**

**The documentation thing was a little more confusing, I kind of just made stuff up and hoped it made sense. If it doesn't feel free to let me know. Lastly, I spend pretty much all day worrying over this one, so I hope it came out alright. The wolves will have a part in this story very soon... the next chapter will be entirely dedicated to them, in fact.**

**I ****hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you next time!**


	6. Chapter 6 - Suspicion

**Authors Note: Chapter six, woo! This one went up kind of late, I got caught up playing vidya games with a group of friends. This one focuses on the pack a little bit, gives you an insight into their mind as I write it, and shows you Cameron from a different perspective. We're at that point where it's less mundane things he has to do to get his life together, and more moving towards the supernatural. It'll happen soon. With all that in mind, I hope you enjoy Chapter Six, comin' at 'ya!**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. **

* * *

The wolf advanced slowly, almost cautiously as my eyes widened infinitesimally. A low growl sounded, bubbling up its throat and through it's open mouth. All I saw were the daggers that lay inside. Sharp, meant for tearing. What were you supposed to do in a situation like this? Assert your dominance to get it to go away? How the hell was I supposed to assert dominance over a gigantic fucking wolf? I sat, paralyzed as it advanced slowly, closing my eyes as it sniffed at the air in front of me. "Please, please, please…" I muttered quietly to myself, praying to whatever god that would listen to help me out. I peeked my eyes open to see it had backed up, its ears lay flat against its skull as it lay down in front of me, a whine escaping its muzzle. What the hell?

* * *

Point of View: Jacob Black

Running was usually an easy way of escaping your problems. Bad day at work? Take a run. Argument with a relative? Take a run. The girl you fell in love with choosing a vampire over you? Take a run. There are days I wish I hadn't met Bella Swan. The more rational part of my brain usually kicks in on these days and tells me what an idiot I really am, and I am an idiot.

Still, a run is usually all I need to clear my head, get myself back on track and keep my head in the game. For now, running patrol would have to do. Still, I can't help but let my mind wander every once in a while… unfortunately this is caught pretty much instantly by the three trespassers in my brain.

"Trespassers? I'm hurt." Embry's thoughts resonate through my mind as easily as my own, and I sigh inwardly.

"Honestly, kid. You need to get over it. She's not worth your time." Paul says. I can see him jogging casually somewhere near the beach.

"Neither are you, but here I am." I reply sarcastically before sprinting off in the more dense part of the forest. He grunts in response before returning his attention to the ground, searching for any stray scent that may have run through. It'd been a while since we'd run into anything since Laurent, unfortunately.

"Woah, I got something." Paul thought suddenly, coming through a breach between some trees into a field that sat very close to the coast.

"What is that?" Embry asked, faltering in his run slightly as he slowed.

"It's definitely human, but there's something hidden there. Some other scent. Are you getting it?" he thought of the scent as clear as he possibly could, relaying it freshly through the pack mind.

"Yeah, there's definitely something there." Quil mentally frowned.

"Hold on, Jake where is that?" Embry interrupted Quil's thought, thinking about my surrounding and the scent I was following.

"Outside the library. Hold on." I slowed to a steady walk, careful of my surroundings as I peered through the trees at the library. There was nothing abnormal about the place, it was as it always was. The only difference was the kid sitting at the bench, looking at some paper.

"You're right, he definitely isn't abnormal. He does smell weird, though. What is that?" Embry wondered, now standing still as he watched my thoughts and the scene before him.

"Who cares." Paul interjected, pacing about the clearing. "Let's just… What is he doing?"

I couldn't help myself. I walked through the gap in the trees to stand behind him, watching as he read the paper. I could just barely read the words 'Last Will and' over his shoulder, but he himself was far more interesting than the paper he held in his hands. His arms were shaking violently, the hairs on the back of his neck stuck up… his entire body was trembling as the air was permeated by an all consuming anger I knew all too well. He was phasing.

"Jake, step back, what if he attacks you." Quil thought in a panicked tone.

But he wouldn't. I could practically feel the anger radiating from his body, it was like he was already a part of the pack mind and I was receiving it directly from him, but as quick as it showed up, he was starting to calm down. He clamped his hands down onto the table, his fingers creating small trenches there. His body had clearly been effected by the momentary shift – and that was undoubtedly what it was. His mind had changed, his body had started to change, I could feel his thoughts though they didn't make any sense. But, he stopped it. Somehow, in some way, he overruled the anger before it consumed him. He was undoubtedly one of us, this much was obvious. The smell from before had gotten stronger, and I could tell what it was now that it was more pronounced; He smelled of wolf.

"That's impossible. Nobody has that much control, not even Sam." Embry interrupted my thoughts as I walked forward still. If I could get a closer look, maybe… but he turned around then, his eyes widening as he took in my form, and he looked about ready to run. I couldn't blame him. Still, I had to find out what the hell was up with this kid. Why had he been able to stop the shift? I stepped closer still as he closed his eyes. I was close enough to touch him now, and I inhaled his scent as best as I could, but there was nothing beyond the average teenager apart from the distinct wolf smell.

He wasn't a complete wolf yet, that much was clear. But he was close, closer than any of us had been… and that made him dangerous. It made him unpredictable. He could explode at any minute, and if that anger was any indication, we had somebody even worse than Paul on our hands. "Ah, screw off." Paul started, but I cut him off with a growl as I stepped slightly closer, unintentional this time. I almost felt drawn to him, it was strange. "Please, please, please…" he whispered, snapping me back into reality. I backed up immediately and lay down in front of him, showing that I didn't mean to hurt him, unintentionally letting a whine escape my muzzle as I attempted to convey that I meant no harm.

For some reason he already felt like a member of the pack, and a pivotal one at that. Almost like a beta. His eyes opened as he examined me, and I continued to lay there, making a show of panting like a friendly dog as I watched him. He stood shakily then, and moved to the other side of the table, grabbing his backpack and the piece of paper he had been looking at before. He was going to run?

* * *

POV: Cameron

I slung my backpack slowly over my shoulder, never taking my eyes off the wolf as I started to back up, slowly. To my displeasure, it stood again, looking like it wanted to follow me before it turned and walked away in the opposite direction. That was it? It just left, easy as that? My heart rate was slowly starting to come down as I noticed how quickly I was breathing, and I took slow, deep breaths to calm myself down. It was gone. I turned and ran then, sprinted as fast as I possibly could back toward where the beach was. I was fast, always had been because of how much I _didn't _weigh. But I had never run this fast. I was sprinting far quicker than I ever had, easily as fast as any runner I'd seen on a T.V at school as the newfound strength in my legs pushed me harder. Adrenaline was a crazy thing.

* * *

I stopped running only when I reached the beach, stopping at the sand to catch my breath momentarily, though I wasn't breathing as hard as I thought I should after something like 30 minutes of straight running. I started again at a slow jog, making my way toward my makeshift shelter, plopping myself down on a log with a groan. My heart was still beating a mile a minute, and the run probably didn't help any. Still, I couldn't help but wonder what the crap that wolf was, if it even was a wolf. I'd have to make another trip into town sometime soon, I still had a job to look for. I reached into my backpack for the jerky with a sigh, eating it slowly as I went over the moment again and again in my mind. No matter how much thought I gave it, it made no more sense.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the crack of a branch being stepped on and broken, immediately zoning in on the direction as my heart picked up again. Had it followed me?

I let out an almost relieved sigh as a person stepped into the clearing, thanking my lucky stars that it was just some guy and not the mega wolf. "Hey." He said to me, surprise in his tone. I stared at him with a quirked eyebrow, responding with a "Hey." Of my own as I took in the sight of him. Tall, tan skin, dark hair, brown eyes and more muscles than anybody should have at that age, though he could pass as somebody in his mid twenties easily. He was like the guys I had seen at my new school. The question is what was he doing here?

"Sorry if I'm intruding or something, I was just taking a walk through the woods." He explained, crossing the gap that separated us and walking straight past me, over to the rock I had slept against last night. "My name's Jake, by the way." He turned to look at me expectantly as I dropped the now empty bag of jerky into my pack. "Cameron." I said after a moment, never taking my eyes off him. What did he want?

"Soo… what are you doing out here?" he asked, motioning to the little clearing.

"Sitting?" I replied, earning a frown from him.

"I can see that. Why are you sitting out here?"

I shrugged, picking up my backpack as I stood. "Just passing the time. Having a snack, listening to the ocean."

"Oh." He frowned at this, as if my answer wasn't what he had hoped for. "I don't recognize you, are you new around here?"

"I guess." I shrugged again.

"Do you go to school?"

"Yeah. I just enrolled today, actually." He nodded at this, pursing his lips.

"That's cool. If you need some help getting around the place, let me know." He offered suddenly, earning a confused stare from me as he waved and walked out of the clearing, onto the beach and out of my little camp. Strange guy, but I suppose he was nice enough. I had more important things to worry about than Jacob, anyways. Like that wolf.

* * *

The rest of my day was uneventful. I mostly sat on that log and read through all the documents I'd collected, stopping every once in a while to look around myself. I was beginning to have second thoughts about camping in the woods. As the day turned to dusk, and dusk to night, I settled myself down against the rock again, removing my sweater and draping it over my curled up form like a blanket to sleep, thankful that it wasn't raining. Today had been emotionally and physically draining, so when I finally drifted off to sleep, it was barely five minutes after I shut my eyes. That night, I dreamt again for the first time since I arrived, and my dreams were full of gigantic wolves chasing me and my mother across a bridge. In a last ditch effort to save herself, my mother jumped over the side, leaving the wolves to rip me apart.

POV: Jacob Black

I had explained the entire situation to Sam and the rest of the pack. From the almost-shift to the little camp he was staying in. "There's nothing we can do about it. For now, he's still human. Until he completes the transformation though, we're going to need to keep an eye on him from a distance. Jake, I'm putting this responsibility on you, he knows your human form already so it should make the process easier. Follow him during the days, you're off patrol for the moment. If anything happens, just separate him from the situation by whatever means you have, drag him into the forest, whatever you have to." I nodded slowly. "Now Quil, I want you to cover for…" I kind of blanked the rest of the conversation out. I had my job, there was nothing I needed to listen to.

As it turned out, Quil would be covering for me during the month or so that I was to be watching the kid. It would probably be pretty boring, but at least I'd have some time off patrol and to myself for a while. Besides, I'd be a wolf for the majority of the time anyways. If it really came down to it, they'd call me for help and I could be there quickly.

And that's how the rest of the week went. I woke up, followed Cameron as a wolf, making sure to keep out of his sight as he went about his business, slept when he slept, ate when he ate… it wasn't the most fun thing I'd ever done, but it wasn't boring. I still felt drawn to him.

I just wish I knew why.


	7. Chapter 7 - Affinity

**Authors Note: Chapter Seven comin' at 'ya! In this chapter, Jake and Cameron get a little closer. We've got a few more chapters before the good stuff starts happening, for now you'll just have to bear with me. I don't like jumping straight into this stuff, so I hope you don't mind the pace. With all that said and done, I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I in no way shape or form claim to own any of the original ideas created by the brilliant mind of Stephanie Meyer. This story is simply my own humble addition to the already fantastic universe that is Twilight. **

* * *

My life over the next two weeks was pretty plain. The days before school, I woke up and searched around for job openings and opportunities. I ended up writing out a resume and submitting it to a couple places, but the result was pretty much the same on all fronts. In order for them to call you in for an interview, they had to _call you in. _I have no phone, they have no way to contact me, I have no job. And so my days became wake up, eat some kind of ration, go forage for something edible in the forest, come back empty handed, repeat the process until Monday came around. School was great. It kept my mind occupied on something far more entertaining than the monotony my life had become. I absorbed as much knowledge as I could, even the sciences and math's that I doubted I'd ever use. I was a quick study, and I had more time on my hands than I knew what to do with, so my assignments were done exactly on time. Often times I would turn in my work early, as lunch was spent avoiding people and keeping myself busy usually with homework. I would eat the food they gave me, a meal I was intensely grateful for and had come to rely on. It meant my rations would stay rations for a lot longer.

After my first week at school, I became the center of attention for a few reasons. I was identified as a poor kid on my third day when I wore the same change of clothes, and it was reaffirmed on Friday after I had never once changed them out. It was getting irritating, but there was nothing I could do about it. I washed them as often as I could, half the time along with myself. I'd go dive in a fresh water pond I had found on my little foraging trips and clean myself as best as I could before I let my clothes dry. Fortunately, nobody really cared that I was 'poor', it didn't matter to anybody. Sure, they probably felt sorry for me, I could see it in their eyes when they glanced at me while they thought I wasn't paying attention, but it was never anything more than that. Nobody bothered to make fun of me. Hell, nobody bothered to even talk to me. Nobody except Jacob. Every day he would show up and greet me, make idle conversation that I barely managed to keep up with, then we'd go our separate ways and repeat the process the next day. Talking to him was effortless, and he didn't make a point to be my friend or anything, he was just a kid at school. There was no pity in his eyes, no questioning glances, nothing. I was really starting to like him.

Other than school, I had started looking for my supposed house, to no avail. There were a few abandoned buildings and empty houses in La Push, but I couldn't know if any of them belonged to my parents because I had no address, no picture, nothing. I'd have to make a point to stop by the library at some point to get that figured out, because sleeping against a big rock was becoming very old very fast. Still, I was on my own. I was a free man, and I was getting my life together one piece at a time. For the first time in my life, I was actually happy with my life.

Unfortunately, with that happiness came the resumption of my nightmares and they had come back with a vengeance. Gone were the days of silent awakenings. Often times I would barely catch myself when I awoke, stopping the screams before they escaped and holding them in while I shook violently. Others I would yell something along the lines of "Don't leave, Mom don't and please come back", rousing me from my sleep and sending my heart into overdrive. It was better than crying out, at the very least. Two weeks had come and gone, and I found myself sitting on the beach on Saturday wondering what to do. I'd finished all of my homework yesterday, so there's nothing with school I can distract myself with, and a job isn't happening any time soon, not until I got a phone or something like that. So, here I sit on a hunk of bleached white drift wood staring out at sea with a frown on my face. Boredom is something I've combated before, but never when I actually had time for myself. I don't have any stores to steal a bottle from, no drinks to poor, no insults to listen to… nothing. It's nice, but still boring. With a great sigh I let my hands slide through the sand, letting the grains slip through my fingers before gripping a stray rock and sending it sailing off into the waves.

There had been a number on my palm along with my name, but I hadn't bothered memorizing the number, I couldn't use it anyways. I had the slip of paper with Lindsey's phone number tucked safely into my backpack pocket, and at some point or another had copied the number, address and name onto the other side of the paper with a pen I took from school. I still need to call Lindsey, but there's no phone for me to use around this place and I can't afford to use a payphone. I could drop by Anna's, but I don't know her well enough to impose on her that way anyways, and the conversation would be far too awkward anyways. She has a phone, though. At some point I had started chewing on my fingernails, because when my name was suddenly called, my thumb dropped from my mouth as I looked in the direction of the voice.

"You don't get around much, do you?" Of course it was Jacob. Who else would talk to me, and who else would know that I frequent this place? It's the only other place he's seen me beside school, after all.

"Not really. There aren't many places to go around here." I shrugged my shoulders in response. He chuckled lightly at this before planting himself down on the other side of the log I was sitting on. "Fair enough."

We sat in silence for a few minutes before I turned to look at him. He was staring out at the water with a contemplative expression, like he was thinking hard about something and couldn't quite come to a conclusion. I found out what he was contemplating when he spoke again, and it nearly floored me.

"You're homeless, aren't you?" I balked at him as he continued to stare stoically at the water.

"What makes you think that?" I dodged the question, earning a quirked eyebrow as if to say 'really?'

"Well I have a few reasons. Wanna hear 'em?"

"No."

"Cool. For one, I saw your little camp back there." He pointed behind him, completely ignoring my unwillingness to discuss this. "For two, you've worn that exact change of clothes for two straight weeks." He pinched at his collar as he said this. "Three, after school every day you walk back here."

"What, are you stalking me?" I glared at him, earning a grin.

"Nah, I live up the road." He jerked his head in the direction and I frowned.

"Alright, fine. Yes, I'm homeless. Is there anything else you'd like to point out, or is that all?" I was being rude, but he's the one making observations about my life here.

"You have no job," he held up his index finger. "No money," he held up his middle finger. "No phone, so you can't get a job," he held up two more. "and nobody looking out for you." He held up his final finger and looked over at me, daring me to deny it.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes." I shrugged. "What's your point?"

"My point is you need help." The look on my face must have said 'You're insane', because he started laughing at my expression. "Look, I can't offer you a place to stay, money or anything like that. I don't have anything like that going for me anyways. I can offer you a change of clothes and lunch, though." He grabbed a rock from the sand, tossing it out into the water as I had earlier, though it went much father than mine had.

"Why?" I was openly gawking at him now. "You barely know me, why would you offer something like that?" He laughed again, shaking his head. "You act like I'm offering you a million dollars. It's some hand-me-down clothes and some food, it's really not a big deal." I shook my head, still disbelieving. "It is, though." I felt my lips curl into a small smile. "Sure, it's not a million dollars, and compared to what you probably have it's close to nothing… but as somebody who owns literally nothing, that's _everything _to me." I stood, looking up at the sky, watching the clouds before I returned my attention to him. "Seriously, I can't tell you how grateful I am. Thank you." He stood, shrugging. "Like I said, it's not a big deal. C'mon." he motioned for me to follow. "Hold on a second." I ran back to my little clearing and gathered up my backpack before jogging back to the beach, slowing to a walk as we made our way to his house.

* * *

It was a quaint little building with slatted walls painted red, window frames outlined in an eggshell white and a low hanging roof covered in some kind of tarp, presumably to stop leaks. There was a small shed around the side just barely visible from the street, and the front steps had been covered by a ramp, presumably for wheel chair access. He led me inside and sat me down at the kitchen table before setting about making grilled cheese sandwiches for the two of us.

Thirty minutes later, Jake had gone through something like eight sandwiches, half a bag of chips and a couple glasses of Pepsi before he seemed full. I watched as he polished off the last bit of his food, having already finished my two sandwiches by the time he got through six of his. "You eat like you're hoarding food for the apocalypse." I said bluntly, earning a shrug from him. "I get hungry, what can I say?"

"Clearly." I laughed, finally relaxing as we sat, watching the T.V in the corner. The phone had started to ring at some point, but he ignored it after checking the caller I.D, and I hadn't bothered asking. He looked like he really wanted to answer it, but had decided against it on better judgment. "You said you were new here, didn't you?" He had asked me suddenly, earning a questioning look in response.

"When I first met you in your clearing," my eyes narrowed as he called it _my _clearing. I nodded though, signaling him to go on. "I asked if you were new around, you just said 'I guess.'" He impersonated my voice, making me sound dreary and boring. Then again, I suppose I must be, I don't tend to open up to strangers. I nodded again, prompting him to continue. "So you are new here?"

"Yeah, I got here the day before you met me, actually." I confirmed, popping a chip into my mouth with a shrug. "Why, what do you want to know?"

"Well for starters, where did you come from if not from here? 'Cause you're obviously native, I just don't know if you're from a different tribe, or…" he trailed off.

"Or if I'm actually Quiluete?" I finished for him. He nodded. "Yeah, I'm Quileute." I took a sip of my drink before I continued. "I was born here, left with my mom for California at three and made my way back fifteen years later." I filled in the blanks, earning an "Ah." And another pondering expression from him. "Yes, there's more to it than that, but it's not something I want to talk about." He nodded, though he still looked like he was thinking hard about it. "What's your last name?"

"Davis." This didn't seem to spark any kind of realization, instead he just let out a sigh and shrugged.

"Never heard it before." He decided, standing and moving to the stair case. "I'll be right back."

* * *

He came back ten minutes later, finding me staring out the window at the forest. I turned at the sound of his light footsteps and watched as he set the clothes down on the ground. "You're about the same size I was before me… growth spurt." He held up a black shirt, then another collared white one. They were in good condition, as if he'd grown out of them before he had a chance to wear them much, which was probably the case giving how big he is. "No underwear or anything." He shrugged, but I just nodded. It was good enough, far more than good enough. At least I'd stop drawing so much attention, now. "Thank-"

"Shut up, it's not a big deal." He interrupted my thank you with a grin. "I'm tired of seeing those clothes every day, I'm helping myself out more than you, here." He smirked. I raised my middle finger at him before we both broke into laughter.

Perhaps I spoke too soon. Maybe Jake can be more than somebody I like.

Maybe he can be my friend.


	8. Chapter 8 - Discovery

**Authors Note: Chapter eight comin' at 'ya! This time I've got a twist for you. I hope you enjoy it. Also, to the people that have followed this story: Thank you. So much. You inspired me to actually commit to this story, and it is now the longest thing I've ever written. I'm already working on the next chapter as I write this, and it's 2,717 words in right now but it isn't even half way done yet, so look forward to that. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, etc. **

* * *

For the next month and a half, my life went on this way. I would wake up, go to school, hang out with Jake, go to my little clearing and repeat the process over again the next day. Jake and I had become pretty close, he'd been the only person I actually wanted to be friends with, and he remained the only person that could ask me blunt questions about my life and not piss me off in the process. He knew next to nothing about me still. He knew that my mother had died, my father had died and I'd been staying with somebody else while I grew up, but beyond that he knew nothing about all the gory details. Most weekends, the two of us could be found either in his garage or just walking about the reservation. I'd memorized the place finally, and people had stopped looking at me like a hobo, mostly due to the fact that I'd been able to snag a job in Forks. Jake had asked a friend of his to get me the position and she'd come through pretty handily. Unfortunately, my hours were few and far between, but any money is more money than I had been making without it. I'd received my first paycheck a few days ago and spent most of it on a tent, blanket and a couple pillows, which I ended up using as a make-shift mattress. It wasn't paradise, but it was a hell of a lot better than leaning against a rock.

Not much else had changed. School had the attention that Jake didn't, my job kept me occupied a couple days out of the week, and I spend countless hours laying on the beach listening to the waves. I'd read the entire book on the fables of La Push front to back two times by now, but it seemed to be nothing more than a very interesting fiction novel. The tribal stories were cool, creepy in their own right but very cool. The problem was I didn't know what relevance they had to me or my mother. She couldn't be one of the Cold Ones or the Spirit Warriors, she was neither a vampire nor a man so both were impossible. I'd asked Jake what he knew about them at one point, but he just shrugged his shoulders, said some nonsense about it being stupid stories and left it at that. I had to agree with him… they were just stupid stories.

All in all, my life was better. It wasn't perfect but it was better, and taking care of myself had taught me a lot about surviving and myself. I'd received a lot of insight as to my minds inner workings and how I tended to process things. Pain, sadness and happiness seemed to be fairly large parts of my life at this point, but the ever present depression was never far gone, always in the background of whatever I was feeling as if a constant reminder to how fucked up I still am. Jake notices it, acknowledges it, but leaves it at that. He doesn't pry, and I'm more grateful for it than I can ever express. He's become like a rock for me, that stable constant in my life that had become incredibly reliable regardless of what the world threw at it. He's become my best and only friend in a matter of weeks… until he started to distance himself.

He'd become much more reserved, he came around less, we talked less and half the time I'd end up finding him passed out when we actually did hang out. He'd knock out on the couch while we were watching T.V, and I'd just let him rest while I occupied myself with my thoughts. He was clearly hiding something from me, though it really wasn't any business of mine, I was hiding something too, after all. Still, it was definitely some cause for concern. After about two weeks of this, I'd gotten used to hanging out with him one day out of the week sometimes. Today was one of those days.

"Dude, where've you been at lately?" I asked him. He'd come by the clearing today and surprised me, now we were sitting on a driftwood log, staring out at the water like I usually did.

"Busy. My dad's got me running errands all over the place." He sighed, stifling a yawn. I had met Billy a couple times. He was a nice guy, seemed to like me quite a lot and he was a lot like Jake; he didn't care that there were some things I just wouldn't talk about. He'd asked me about my mom one day, and I gave him the most generic answers I could. He seemed intensely curious though, like my answers depended on something.

"Bummer. You've missed a lot." He quirked an eyebrow, looking at me with as curious an expression he could muster. "You don't do anything, what did I miss?"

"Nothing, that's the point." I smirked. "You didn't miss anything because I don't do anything because you're like the only person I talk to and you're constantly gone." He shrugged, shifting his position so that he was sitting in the sand leaning against the log.

"Get a life, then." He joked, letting his eyes drift shut as he leaned against the log.

"Har har. Seriously though, you alright? You're constantly tired."

"Sure, sure. Dad's been making me help some of his friends with some wildlife preservation crap. Something about 'Saving the Olympic Wolf' or whatever." I frowned. I knew exactly what kind of wolf he was talking about, though the thing hadn't come back since that day at the library. It'd shown up in my nightmares a few times, now.

"Well if you need any help with anything, let me know. I'm obviously free except for Thursdays and Friday's." I had work on those days. The only days of the week I was needed. "Nah, it's cool." He stood, then. "Honestly, it's boring stuff. Lots of walking and we never find anything. It's pretty much hiking, it's not really something we'd need help with. I gotta get going, though. See you at school." And with that he was gone.

* * *

One month turned into two faster than I'd been able to predict, and two weeks after my conversation with Jake, I hadn't seen him at all. Not at school, not at the beach, not even at his house. According to his dad he was out with a group of friends tonight for some kind of get together. He didn't elaborate and I didn't ask. Instead, I just headed back home. I had ended up saving my money from my last two paychecks, so I had a couple hundred dollars that I spent on a cheap little cell phone with pre-paid minutes, and it had been more than long enough to call Lindsey. I dialed the number, pressed send and sat against my log while it rang.

"Hello?"

"Lindsey, it's Cameron." She gasped on the other line. "Oh, thank god I thought… I don't know what I thought. Are you alright? Did everything go okay?" I explained what had happened to her, how my trip went, how it had been more than enough. "I have a job now. I ended up using the money you gave me and added it to my paycheck to get a cell phone, so you can reach me at this number whenever. Thank you again, for that." I had thought about spending it on food or clothes before, but it didn't seem right. I needed to use it for something important, and I was eating every day at school anyways, so there was no point. She was happy to hear that, and vowed to call and check up on me every week. Jake wasn't my only friend after all. I had another in Oregon.

After the phone call, I slipped the phone into my tent and stretched out on the floor, opening up the book of legends and re-reading the fifth chapter with pursed lips. It talked about Taha Aki, and his first time uniting with the wolf to attack Utlapa, about the third wife and his sudden disappearance. I could imagine what he was going through, though it was said to be much worse for him, that he lay by her body for three entire days before he disappeared. It was eerie.

A crunch outside my tent snapped me out of my thoughts, and I pushed the flap that made the doorway aside to poke my head out. "Oh, Jake. What's up?" he looked upset about something. His arms were shaking, he looked like he wanted to break something and for some reason he was wearing tattered shorts… and that was it. "Why are you…" he held his hand up to interrupt me. "I need to show you something." I stepped out of the tent and followed him a little deeper into the trees, keeping quiet as he lead the way. What could he possibly have to show me out here?

We had been walking for thirty minutes before I'd had enough of the silence. "Alright, what the hell is going on? What could you have to show me all the way out here?" he stopped and turned to look at me. "That." He motioned with his hand behind me. I turned around, my exasperation fading in an instant as surprise and fear took over it in an instant, and I shuffled backward, slamming into Jake in my haste to get away. "Calm down, it's not going to hurt you."

"Are you fucking kidding me? We need to get out of here!" I shouted, staring at the pure black wolf, my eyes as wide as saucers. It growled, looking past me at Jacob as he sighed. "Yeah, I know." He said in response. It was exactly the same as the wolf as before… but no, it was different. This one is black, that one had been a brown, russet color. These are the Olympic wolves? Why is this one here, and why is Jake talking to it like it's speaking to him? "Look, this is what I needed to show you. He won't hurt you, his name is Sam. He's the Alpha of the pack." I stepped to the side, away from Jacob and farther away from the wolf. "Don't bother running, you wouldn't get away anyways."

Something in me snapped at that point. "Then what the fuck are you doing bringing me right into its fucking jaws?!" I shouted, earning a surprised expression from him. "Good, you're getting angry. I need you to get angry." What the hell is he talking about? "What the hell are you talking about?" he sighed, sticking his hands into his pockets.

"Look, I know this is going to sound weird, but go ahead and listen anyways." He looked at the ground, as if thinking about how to explain something to me. He was silent for another five minutes before I prompted him. "Are you going to explain or stand there like a jack ass all damn day? Why the fuck am I here, and what is this about?"

"You know that book you have?" I furrowed my brows. "The one containing the legends, I mean. The tribal legends about spirit warriors and the wolv-" I cut him off.

"No. No fucking way, you are not about to tell me this shit is real." I glared at the wolf in front of me, it huffed in response, sitting down and exposing its teeth to me, making me falter in my anger for a moment. "Yeah, that's exactly what I'm telling you. Every single bit of it is true. All of it, the spirit warriors, the wolves, Taha Aki and Utlapa, every single bit of it. It's all completely true. The cold ones, vampires, our mortal enemies, it's all one hundred percent true." I was floored. Did he think I was an idiot? "I can tell you don't believe me. That's fine, I can prove it."

He shook his head at the wolf. "But not that way. I'm not doing it your way, he deserves the whole explanation." Jake literally growled at the wolf, surprising me again. Even more shocking was the almost human way the wolf rolled its brown eyes and stood, walking away from us behind the trees, where I could just see it pacing. "You said you would explain, so explain." I was trying to maintain that same anger I had before, but it was fading with my curiosity.

"When you first got here, the day I met you, you remember that, right?" I nodded, remembering it quite well. "That wasn't the first time we met. We met earlier that day at the library." At the library? Then… "You? You're telling me it was you?" he nodded, pulling at the hair on his head. "Same color, right? Brown fur. I saw you when you read that will," he paused at me darkened expression. "Yes, I saw the will, not what was in it, don't worry. I saw you read the will and you got angry. Really angry." I nodded, remembering the feeling perfectly well. So it was him. I couldn't deny it, how else had he known? It was true. All of it. Holy shit. "It felt like your skin was crawling, like you could literally explode at any second, like you wanted to tear up everything around you, right?" I nodded again, realization dawning on me as he spoke. It couldn't be true… "Me?" I asked. He nodded. "You. But you stopped it. I don't know how, but you stopped it. For the rest of us, getting that angry is like signing a death warrant. We lose ourselves and explode into that." He pointed to the wolf… to Sam… and I followed his finger. The wolf approached slowly, coming to a stop as it reached me, staring down into my eyes as it paused a couple feet away from me.

"We phase." Jake spoke again. "That anger you felt was incredibly strong. Too strong. Most of us would have literally lost our mind if we had felt that. You have some crazy control." I almost wanted to stretch out a hand and touch the wolf in front of me, to make sure it was real. So I did. I placed my fingers on the top of its head, and it huffed slightly as if it knew what I was doing. "This is impossible." I let my hand drop. "Even if I am what you say I am, how did I stop it, then? Why didn't I phase?" He sighed in response, looking up at the sky. "That's where this gets confusing." He pointed at me, now. "Your hair, what color is it?"

"Seriously? It's brown, obviously."

"And your eyes, what color are they?"

"Brown." He nodded.

"Your last name?"

"Davis."

"Exactly. Your father's name was Eric, your mother's name was Paige." I nodded,

"Your father's name… his full name, was Eric Lee Davis Black." I blinked a couple times at mention of this. "Black?" I asked as he nodded. "As in your last name Black?" He nodded again. "Your dad decided to take your mother's name when they got married. Because of that, nobody really knew that your dad was my dad's brother. That and the fact that they weren't too close. The tribe had never needed protection, so he'd never phased, and neither had my dad. But their father's name was William, and their grandfathers name was Ephraim. We're cousins, Cameron."


	9. Chapter 9 - Expansion

"Bullshit." Jacob raised an eyebrow at me as if to question my sudden exclamation. "That doesn't make any sense. If I'm your cousin and we're both equals on that front, then why do I have this 'control' that you don't?" I prompted, earning a frown from him. "I don't know. Nobody does, not my dad, not even old Quil Atera… we don't know. You're an oddity, I guess. Maybe it has something to do with how you grew up, maybe it has something t do with your past or maybe your mom and dad were just some strange pairing that made a wolf with good control. I don't know. What I do know is you are most definitely a wolf. I smelled it on you the day I met you, and even now you smell more wolf than human even though you didn't complete the phase. But that's why I'm really here." I shook my head, looking from him to Sam a couple times before I walked forward, past them, stopping in front of a tree that I leaned against as I slumped down to the ground. "This is too much. I can't understand it. How could any of this be true?" I gripped a hand in my hair, significantly longer than it had been when I arrived, and looked up at them. "This can't be real."

Sam looked at Jake then, glaring at him. Jake nodded and removed his hands from his pockets. "Don't freak out." He started to slide his shorts off, catching my attention. "What the hell are you doing? That's a part of you I never want to see."

"Shut up, I'm showing you how real this is." He slid his shorts off at the same time his shape began to blur. His arms shook, his hair seemed to grow as his form exploded, shifting before me into the same wolf I'd seen that day. If I had looked surprised before, it was nothing to what I looked like now. I think I've lost my mind. He phased back, put his shorts back on and walked over to me, looking down at me frozen form. "This is very real. Now, are you done freaking out or can I get around to the other reason I brought you here?" I shook my head, and he sighed, sitting down a ways away from me. "I can take it from here." He spoke. The wolf nodded and trotted off, disappearing through the trees as I closed my eyes and let my head fall back against the wood.

"How am I supposed to take this?" I asked.

"I don't know. We all look at it differently. It's a burden at the best of times, and kind of a release at the worst. We're protectors, you read about that." I nodded. "That's where I've been all this time. Patrolling. There's this crazy bitch running about the place. One of the cold ones, a Vampire." I gave him a tortured glance, and he held his hands up. "Sorry. Anyways, she's been running along our boarder, dancing around, running from us and the Cullens. They're... you know's. Anyways, we have a treaty with them. They don't hurt humans, we don't come after them. They chased this leech, but she danced along out boarder, knowing that we couldn't cross it to attack her. It was irritating as all hell. One of them jumps at her and misses, but he smacked into one of our wolves, Paul. His mate tries to defend him, Paul freaked out and it almost turned into a fight. She got away." He looked very irritated at this, and I could see why but it still didn't make sense to me or change how I felt about the whole situation.

"This leech is after somebody." He said after a moment. His arms were shaking again, like when he phased, though he was in control of himself. "After Bella." I widened my eyes. Bella was the one who got me the job at the store… what did she have to do with all this? "Is she…" he shook his head. "Nah, she's not a wolf. She's human. Only males can be wolves… sort of. Besides, she's not part of the tribe, she doesn't have the gene." I nodded, silently hating the fact that it made sense. "She knows about us, though. Her boyfriend," again his arms set to shaking, much more violently this time. "he's one of them. A damned Parasite." He spit the word like it was a curse, and I could see why. They were disgusting creatures, and for one of them to be after somebody I cared about? The thought alone made me angry. I liked Bella, though. I owed her one. "What does this have to do with me?" He glared at me. "I'll get to that." He snapped.

"Anyways, her vamp- Sorry." I had shivered at the word involuntarily again. "he killed the red-head's mate." I figured the one they were after was the red head. "So she wants revenge on him. Since she can't kill him, she's going after Bella. Eye for an eye." He was growling now, and I was honestly afraid he would phase at this point. "Which brings me to you." He looked at me again. "I need your help." I stared at him in disbelief. "Me? What the hell can I do?" He chuckled at this, calming down. "If you're my cousin, then you're a direct descendant of Ephraim Black, like me." I shook my head, still not believing what he was telling me. "He was the Alpha of the pack before our generation." I nodded at this. "So you're the great grandson of an Alpha. Like me. We are both, by birthright, potential Alpha's of the pack. The difference is you're nineteen. I'm only sixteen." I laughed at this. "Bullshit, you look 23." He shrugged. "That's part of the wolf thing. I hit a growth spurt when I phased. You will too." I shuddered at the idea of phasing. "Technically, if you chose to, you would be the rightful Alpha of our pack, replacing Sam." I shook my head instantly at this. "No fucking way. You do it, I don't want that." He smiled. "Neither did I. Don't worry about it, you don't have to." I nodded, instantly thankful. I wasn't cut out for that responsibility.

"Anyways, you're strong… or you will be. You'll be one of the strongest. That's why I need you." I looked at the ground. "Need me for what…" I asked, though I already knew the answer. "I need you to phase." My head fell forward at this as he confirmed what I had expected, and I let out a heavy sigh. "I need your help. I can't let anything happen to her." I looked up at him out of the corner of my eye. He was watching me with conviction as he spoke. "I can't lose her. I need to save her from this. I need to prove that I'm better for her than he is, and our pack needs to be as strong as it possibly can. You'll make it stronger. We need you. I need you." I let out a heavy sigh as I processed this.

It was a full thirty minutes later that I finally spoke. "Okay, I have a few questions first." He nodded, looking at me again. "What did you mean before she becomes one of them?" He clutched at the grass, ripping it up then before dropping it. "She's going to let him, her vamp, turn her after she graduates." I shook my head at this, disbelieving. "Why the hell would anybody want that?" he shrugged. "Beats the hell out of me. She loves him." His eyes narrowed. He was in deep, I could tell that much. "She's going to start spending time on the reservation a lot more so we can watch her when her vamps can't, which is good. It gives me time to talk her out of it." That made sense. Obviously Jake would want to talk her out of it, to make her choose him. He was clearly in love with her.

"Okay." I stood. He followed suit, looking at me in surprise. "Okay? What's okay? What are you doing?" I shrugged. "I was gonna ask you the same thing. Okay means Okay. I'll do it. I'll phase or whatever." His answering smile was blinding as he yanked me into a one-armed hug. "I'll definitely pay you back for this. More than some stupid clothes, too." I shook my head, smiling in spite of how nervous I was. "So what do I do? How do I do this?" he frowned, pacing now. "It's never been an intentional thing before…" he muttered. "Well how do you do it?" I ask, my voice wavering a bit. "It won't work that way. It's easier now that I'm used to the process, I can just… do it. I can't explain it and you won't know how to make it happen anyways. The only thing I can think of is getting you angry."

"How the hell are you gonna do that? I'm too freaked out to be angry at anything right now. I'm nervous, stressed out, worried… but not angry." I sighed. This is hopeless.

"Well how did it happen before?" He asked.

"That was… spur of the moment. I didn't expect it, it kind of jumped up at me. I was angry…" I sighed. I'd have to tell him a lot about myself. More than I wanted to. "I was angry because I'd never met my father." I explained, earning a nod from him. "Well what else makes you angry?" he asked, prompting me to go on. "Not a lot, actually. People prying into my past," I glared at him, and he laughed in response. He never pried, but he asked a lot of questions. "All the experiences I never had growing up… my substitute father-" I hadn't meant to say that, and he recognized it instantly. "What about him? What makes you angry about him?" He prompted.

"Everything. I really don't want to talk about it, Jake." He shook his head, frowning as he did.

"You have to. I need to know how to get you angry so we can do this."

"Alright." I looked up at the sky now, trying to figure out the best way to talk about it to him without losing my hold on my other emotions beside anger… like sadness.

"He was extremely abusive. He controlled every part of my life for fifteen years. I was essentially his slave and punching bag. He was a heavy drinker, and an even heavier hitter." I shivered at the memory, looking back down to level my eyes with Jakes, seeing the pity there. "Well, that's a start, I guess. Does he only make you angry or is there something else?"

"Afraid." I said immediately before I could stop myself. "He makes me afraid. Much more afraid than angry." Jake frowned at this.

"So if I were to…" he reached out and grabbed my upper arm, above my elbow.

"Don't." I said immediately, flinching and trying to yank my arm away, but he didn't let me go. "Jacob, I'm serious. Don't."

"Funny, you don't look very afraid." He said in a taunting manner, earning a glare from me.

"I know what you're trying to do. Don't." I repeated myself, but he just smiled back as he shifted his hold, moving to the top of my shoulders. "I really am sorry, but you already said you would phase."

I could feel it bubbling up inside of me. That anxiousness, the irrational fear… and to my surprise it only fueled my anger.

"Stop."

"No, I won't." He moved his hand again to my neck, wrapping one of them around it while he brought the other back, as if to punch me… and I lost it. The anger faded instantly. I shut my eyes, clenched my fingers and my body went lax as I prepared myself for the hit. He recognized the change and let go, stepping back away from me as I collapsed to the ground, shaking as the overwhelming anxiety and fear crept up on me like it had so many times before, and I lost it. "Cameron, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you." He kneeled beside me and I looked up at him through my fingers... When had my hand covered my face? My right hand covered my face, and my left arm was wrapped around my torso, pressed into it by my knees as I curled myself up.

"He did this to you?" he asked, looking into my eyes, his own anger reflected there. I nodded. "How often?"

"A few times a week, some times daily." I answered without hesitation, completely submissive.

"How does that make you feel?" he prompted. I didn't respond. "Tell me how it made you feel. He beat you. He took your childhood away from you. He robbed you of your happiness, made you homeless and turned you into this," he gestured to my cowering form. "He took the love your mother had for you," he was yelling now. "and pissed on it! He ruined your life and turned you into a child. HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?" he screamed at me.

And it was back. The fire was back. I saw Jacob jump away from me, faster than any human could before my vision changed. Everything seemed to be outlined in red, including Jacob as an inhuman yell erupted up through my chest and out my throat as my limbs acted of their own accord, drawing me up on all fours as my entire body shook violently with anger I had never felt before. Suddenly I was not the cowering little child that had been used as a slave all his life. I was not a weak kid, I was not a hopeless case and I was not broken, and I was not afraid. I was angry beyond any emotion I had ever felt before, beyond my sadness and almost beyond my depression. Before I even registered that it was happening, the anger faded, replaced with pain as my form changed, becoming stronger, muscled and larger. The pain was so intense I thought I had blacked out, but before I knew it, it was gone and I was standing again. Not on feet, but paws and four legs,

_Yeah, it worked._ Jacob's voice echoed throughout my head, answering an unheard question while I stood, confused for a moment. How the hell?

_You read the book, didn't you? This is part of the change. We can hear each other's thoughts. _I had read that. But that makes sense. If this part is true, why wouldn't the rest of it be true?

_So this is for real, then. I'm a wolf now? _I asked, reveling at the feeling of my ears folding backward. My body clearly knew exactly what it was before I did.

_Yes, you're a wolf… and yes, your body knows what it is. Your wolf is exactly what it is:_ Your_ wolf. It's almost a second part of you, like a different kind of mind occupying your head. He's your instincts and your strength. He'll be with you forever, now. _He explained, sitting down on his haunches as he looked at me.

_Okay… this is a lot to take in._ The wolf before me nodded.

_Yeah, it'll be like that for a while. I'm sorry, by the way. _He thought of his actions, his attempts to force me into phasing. I shook my head, noting again in a smaller part of my brain that the action felt for one, normal, but for two like my head was heavier. And I suppose it was. I'm already taller than I had been before. Not as tall as Jake, but still taller. I walked now, moving about the little space we occupied, testing my legs before I replied.

_It's cool. Just don't do it again. Ever. _He laughed, standing and stretching as he looked down at the remains of my clothing, ripped in about five different ways. I followed his gaze and mentally frowned. _I need to go shopping. _I sighed internally before reminding myself that he could hear my thoughts, which made me sigh again. This was going to take some getting used to.

_Well the good news is you're now an official member of the tribe. The council knows about you and your dad and since you're working for us technically – you'll be running patrol every day or so – you're eligible for benefits like payment. Look at it like a second job. Every month you'll get a rough sum of cash. It's more than enough for you to live on._

I was floored again. I gaped at him openly, stopping in my pacing to look at the smug expression on his face – and it was smug, even for a wolf that much was clear. _You're shitting me._

_No, he's not. _The second voice startled me, sparking an involuntary growl that I cut off instantly.

_I'm Sam. _He explained. I could see though his eyes the trees he ran through, acknowledging that he was making his way to us again, faster than I had ever imagined would be possible. Before I completed the thought, he was slowing down enough to come trotting into the little clearing again, filling it completely. He was still huge to me, even though I was much larger than I had been as a human. He was bigger than me and Jacob, though not by a lot. He didn't acknowledge my thoughts, but continued talking when I was finished.

_Sam Uley. Glad to have you here._ I nodded.

_Honestly, the money you'll get won't feel like much compared to the work you'll be doing. You've seen how tired Jake gets. Expect to feel like that a lot of the time. _I nodded again before sitting down. It felt like the right thing to do, all things considered. He had an air of authority about him, like his word was law… a strange feeling. I would have lay down in front of him if it hadn't set off every single alert inside my head.

_It technically is. _Jake answered my thought, looking at me. _His word is law. He's the Alpha of the pack. What he says goes, no matter how stupid. _He barked out a laugh as Sam rolled his eyes, and I smiled at the interaction. This was more comfortable than I'd expected. I liked feeling like this, like I belonged to something. Why had I been afraid of this before? The only downside was that pain I felt when phasing… it had felt like my bones were breaking and resetting themselves all at once in a matter of seconds. It didn't last long, but I could still imagine that pain, and it made me flinch. It was worse than any pain I'd ever felt. At least, any physical pain. I watched the expression of the two wolves as my mind flitted over my mother's face before I suppressed the thought. This could get annoying.

_Secrets won't stay that way for long, unfortunately. _Sam's tone was apologetic. I just nodded, but I would try my hardest to keep them that way regardless.

_Well we're all done for the day, so you can go ahead and head home… _he frowned mentally, picturing my tent.

_For the night. Patrol finished hours ago, nobody's phased other than the three of us. You should get ready for the bonfire. _He pictured a group of people sitting around a large open flame. I recognized Jake and a few of the kids I'd seen around school, but his thoughts quickly centered on himself and the woman he was with in the image before he cut it off. _Yeah. Anyways, that's the bonfire. We tell all the legends at them and eat and have a good time. You should come. It'll be fun. _

It had only been a suggestion, but I nodded at him as he ran off, feeling like I had to go regardless of what I wanted. I didn't enjoy the feeling at all. I'd go to the bonfire. I had to meet the rest of the pack… of _my _pack eventually, right? Better sooner than later.

_Bella will be there. _Jake said suddenly, interrupting my thoughts. _The bloodsucker decided she's allowed to come, so she's going to hear all the legends with us. She'll be happy to see you. _

_Yeah, it'll be cool to see her, too. I still owe her for the job. _He laughed at this before standing. _C'mon, it's time for your first run. _

_Not too far, Jake. _Sam ordered before I felt his consciousness leave us. I guess he had phased back. _We're just going to take a lap around the Reservation, you need to get a feel for the speed anyways. It's one of the only good parts about this whole thing. _


	10. Chapter 10 - Memories

**Authors Note: I'm making this after the original posting of the chapter, but I figure I'd go back and put it in anyways. The next chapter is going to be a very long one, so it might be up tomorrow or the day after. I'm feeling inspired after the reception I'm getting on this thanks to everybody that has reviewed favorited. I cannot possibly express how much it means to me that you guys like this as well as you do, and you can rest assured that it will maintain its update schedule of every day/every other day. Thank you again and expect another thank-you in the next chapter so I can be sure you see it. **

**Disclaimer: idontowntwilightincaseyoudidn'tknow**

* * *

I couldn't help but wonder why I was such an idiot. I mean really, if I had for once considered the benefits to this whole wolf thing, I'd have been psyched. Jacob and I had run a lot longer than he'd said – I'd been so caught up in it. The clarity, the increased sense of smell, the hearing… everything was different. I could move faster than any vehicle, jump higher than any trampoline, I could even think faster. My brain felt more spacious, like I had so much more room for thinking than I had before, though it wasn't near as big of the change as the rest of it had been. I found myself distracted by all the little things I could see now. Birds flitting about inside the trees, squirrels fleeing from the pounding sound of our footsteps… hell, even the small bugs on the ground were visible to me if I wasn't going too fast. Nothing was a blur, everything was clear and sharp, more defined. My sense of smell was incredible. I'd been able to smell any animal within a miles radius after some practice, and even food being made a large distance away from where I sat currently. Jake promised to teach me how to use that scent for something more than novelty. He could track scents that were days old. He could run faster than I could by a wide margin, his hearing and sight were even better than mine. He'd told me that everything would get better as I got more used to it.

We had run for four hours before he had started complaining of exhaustion, and the two of us walked back to his house at a slower pace. _Keep in mind you're going to be stronger as a human as well. Your body's going to change literally over night, and it won't stop for a few weeks, maybe even a month. You're going to be a hell of a lot hungrier, too so I hope you've got some cash saved up. You have a phone now, so you should see about getting a regular job, and we have to get your times set up for patrol. _I absorbed all the knowledge about this I could, it was all vitally interesting to me. I vowed to myself to re-read that book again, look at it from a different prospective and take in that it was all real. We broke through the trees lining the back part of his house and he turned to me.

_This is usually the hard part, but you're so reserved and in control of your emotions, it might not be so bad. _I cocked my head, wondering what he could be talking about when his eyes closed and he seemed to shrink in on himself, phasing back to human. He untied the shorts around his ankle and slid them on before stretching and stifling a yawn. "Now then, phasing back is harder for a lot of us. You have to calm your emotions, slow your heart rate down to a human pace, force yourself back into that calm state of mind so you can make the change easily. It won't hurt this time, it usually only does the first couple times before your body is used to the change." I nodded. I didn't quite fancy running back to my clearing naked, so I didn't bother changing back just yet. I was getting tired though, and very hungry. I butted my head against his shoulder in thanks before trotting off into the forest. "Oh, I almost forgot!" he called out, making me stop. "Keep it a secret. It's probably obvious to you, but we don't need any unwanted attention, okay? Later, dude." I heard the door shut behind him, and his footsteps to the kitchen where the fridge was before I ran off.

I had already known that, and it was obvious to me but it was probably better safe than sorry regardless. I made it back to my clearing and sighed, the sound coming out as a loud huff as I stared at the tent. I was getting tired of living like this. I wanted the kinds of luxuries I'd never been allowed before. I wanted a real bed with real pillows and a real blanket to sleep with. I wanted to be safe inside the confines of walls. Jake was right, I need a new job. As much as I appreciate the one I've got already… it just isn't enough. I stopped at the entrance to the tent and took in a deep breath before concentrating on clearing my head, calming all the new emotions flaring up and slowing my heartrate. It was not easy. It took me a full thirty minutes before I actually phased back. I had time to note that it hadn't hurt before I fell asleep on top of the pillows without my blanket with only a pair of jeans on. Some small part of my brain had noted that the cold weather didn't feel cold anymore, but I was too far gone to notice it consciously.

I woke up to the sound of footsteps approaching me, and scrambled up and out of the tent, grabbing a shirt and slipping it on before Jake stepped into view. "Yo." He called out, waving. I nodded, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "How'd you sleep?" he asked. I shrugged in response. "No dreams, so pretty well actually." I replied. He nodded, having woken me up from several dreams before, he knew what I meant.

"That's cool. I see you managed to phase back."

"Yeah, it took me a while, but I managed. It'll probably be easier next time, I think I understand how it works now."

"Yeah, you'll get the hang of it. So have you noticed how much taller you are, yet?" I started at that, giving him a confused glance before I realized that I was looking almost level with him instead of up at him. He'd been so much taller before, I'd have to physically look up at him to see his face. "Anyways, I'm actually here to drag you to breakfast."

"Drag me? Why would I resist food?"

"'cause it's with my dad." He answered, starting to walk out of the clearing. I followed him, not bothering to put my shoes on. "And that's a problem why?"

"Because he has things to tell you about now that you're a member of the pack."

I nodded. "Still not seeing how this is a bad thing."

"He has questions he wants answered, and he has things to tell you about your dad." My heart skipped a beat in my chest and I sighed. "Right… that would be good enough reason for me to avoid this. Whatever. It's far past time the both of you know my story, anyways." He looked back at me surprised before suppressing a smile. He was curious. Great.

We eventually came to a stop in front of the door before he opened it and stepped through. Billy looked up from the table and greeted me with a nod, motioning for me to sit down. There was food piled up already on two plates for Jake and I. I sat down at mine and the three of us started to eat in silence. I could tell what Jake had meant about being a lot more hungry. I couldn't seem to get enough, tearing through what was on my plate and helping myself to seconds. Jake and I were starting on the last pieces of sausage when Billy finally spoke to me, his grizzled voice snapping me out of my food coma and bringing me back to the present. "I've got some questions, and I'd appreciate it if you'd answer 'em. It'll make what I have to tell you easier when I understand the whole situation. I nodded, swallowing the food in my mouth before I replied. "There isn't a lot I know about what happened. The only memory I have of my dad is this," I removed the picture from my pocket as well as the note folded up inside of it, separated them and handed the picture over. "That picture is the only reason I even know what he looked like."

Billy stared at the picture for a while, as if memories had taken over the part of brain used for speaking. Instead of waiting for him to talk, I went on. "My first memory is of my mom." I started, setting down my fork and sipping my orange juice as I prepared myself. I told him everything I knew. About my mom's suicide, about where I ended up and had grown up, small details about James but nothing other than "He drank heavily and became violent when he did." I didn't want to dredge up everything, and he really didn't need to know it all. I was sick of pity, anyways. But he didn't pity me. Not openly , at least. At the end of my story he just nodded, mulling it all over as he slid the picture across the table to me. I pocketed it as he slid another across. This one was of him and my mother when they were young, barely older than I am now. I stared at the picture blankly, barely managing to keep myself calm as I pocketed it, too. "Thank you." Was all I managed to say, but he seemed to understand. I wasn't angry, just sad.

He told me stories, then. Stories about my he and my dad when they were younger, tales about cliff diving and camping and all kinds of things they'd gotten themselves into. The way he told it, they'd never really drifted apart, they just didn't talk as much as time had gone on. They had their own lives to live. Billy had been very caught up in the death of his wife and the taking care of his kids. Apparently Jake had sisters. By the end of it, I'd been laughing for several minutes, wiping tears out of my eyes while the both of them did the same. "Thank you for all of this. I can't tell you how much it means. I fell a lot closer to him, now." I smiled, feeling genuinely happy for the first time in my life. True happiness that went down to the core of my being. We chatted idly for another few minutes before I remembered what I had wanted to ask him. "I got a hold of the copy of his will," I started. His expression turned somber but he nodded. "It had mentioned their house." Billy frowned at this. "It got tore down. I still got all his old stuff, the important things, in boxes and such, but the rest of it…" he trailed off. I got the picture. I hadn't been hoping to move into the place, honestly I wasn't sure if I could after everything that had happened, but it would have been nice to take a look around. "I've got a lot more pictures like that one if you want 'em." He motioned toward my pocket, and I nodded. Maybe one day, but I didn't want them now.

It had been a couple hours before Jake and I finally left the house and Billy to his own devices. He had mentioned something about somebody named Charlie coming over tomorrow to Jake, but I'd tuned it out and heading into the yard. "So." Jake said, following me out. "So." I replied, shoving my hands into my pockets. "I guess I know why you never told me any of it. That was heavy." I just nodded, looking out at the forest. Our attention was caught by a sound unlike any I'd ever heard before. There was a deep growling and choking, a rattling and even a slight wheezing sound. Jake's eyes lit up at the sound, and I sighed in exasperation. Bella's truck was more monster than I was, that's for damn sure.

The truck came to a stop across the street, and Jake ran over to greet the girl while I hung back. She waved shyly at me before they headed out, walking toward the beach talking about her being let out early or something. I hadn't really been paying attention until the passenger door opened, and a familiar face stepped out of the truck. I felt the foundation of my world crumble, shift and break as I looked at her. My brain seemed to stutter at the sight of her, and I could almost physically feel my life's focus shift as our eyes met and my life literally anchor itself to her. It took me a full minute to comprehend the new thoughts drifting around my brain, the compelling want to walk forward and touch her, make sure she was real. I finally spoke as the haze cleared and the world came back into vision, but that change was there, and it seemed irrevocable.

"Cameron?"

"Anna."


	11. Chapter 11 - Fables and Affection

**Authors Note: SO. The last chapter got some pretty significant reception, and quite a few reviews since then. I'd like to thank Godisgood3, ladyofthelake1967 and Pocketcage for your input. It's invaluable to me. Thank you. Chapter Eleven, comin' at 'ya!**

**Authors Note: Nope, still don't own Twilight. Just checked. **

"What just…" Anna watched me, her expression one of confusion. My life had just turned itself upside down, and I physically felt it, that's what happened. "I don't know." Clearly she felt it, too… whatever it was. I didn't feel this the first time I had seen her, what had changed? I'm a wolf now, that had changed, but what would inspire that feeling just from looking at her? It was too much to think about, and all I wanted to think about was her. Why was that? My thoughts felt possessive, almost like she had suddenly become the world to me. It was like gravity had shifted. "Anyways…" she had a blush on her face now… her face. I was truly seeing her face. The high cheekbones, the pale skin, brown eyes that seemed endless in their depth. Her lips, full and glistening with some flavor of lip-gloss that I could smell was strawberry from here. Her straight hair hung to her shoulders, the same chocolate brown as her eyes. What the hell is wrong with me?

"So were you ever going to call me?" I balked at her for a moment before shaking myself out of it and closing the gap between us. "Well considering I only just got a cell phone like two days ago? Probably. To tell you the truth it didn't cross my mind. I'm sorry I didn't, if that's any consolation?" she glared at me a moment longer before her expression cleared and she smiled, brightening up the day considerably… or at least it seemed to. "Well whatever, you don't really know me anyways. Do you still have the number?" I nodded and watched her eyes flicker to my palm before her brow furrowed, probably remembering my reaction when she had grabbed me before. "Still odd?" I asked, earning another smile as I referenced what she told me before. "And funny." She replied, "Let's go to the beach." She said suddenly, walking forward without waiting for a response. I trailed along after her, not really thinking about the action.

"So you're Bella's sister?" we walked slowly along the beach by the water. She had taken off her shoes and was walking along the water line, letting the surf roll over her feet while I stood out of its range. "Well I call her my sister, but she's really my cousin. We're really close, though." I nodded, comparing it to Jacob and I before returning my attention to her. "What about you? Are you friends with Jacob?" I nodded. "I met him a couple days after I got here. We've been hanging out for a while, now."

"That's cool. So how has life been? Forks' annoyingly consistent weather treating you well?" I laughed, nodding slowly. "Pretty much. I like the rain, though. It's calming, helps me sleep." I replied. She shrugged, "I guess it isn't so bad. I went to Arizona for a while to stay with my dad; that's why I was on the train. The weather there is just sunny. Constantly. It's hot, too. I like it, but it's kind of annoying at the same time, you know? Forks is just as consistent, but the cold is much more comfortable than the heat. The rain is nice. Sometimes." She allowed, bumping into my shoulder with her own. "So do you have a house here, or something? You don't look like you've been living in the wild all this time."

I frowned before answering her. "Well, like I said Jake and I met a couple days after I got here. I didn't really have any clothes or anything, so he loaned me some. I live in a tent, actually. I have a lake I use to clean up." She frowned at this. "That isn't very comfortable."

"Better than nothing."

"I guess." She lapsed into silence for a moment. "Why, though? Why would you leave your home to come to this place you don't remember? Why would you leave that for essentially nothing?"

"That's kind of complicated." She smiled at this. "I like complicated." She said pointedly, looking at me for a moment before returning her attention to the sand. I remained silent for a minute, walking alongside her before coming to a stop. She kept walking for a moment but eventually turned around and walked back to me. "It wasn't like that for me. It was never a home, it was just… shelter, I guess. I don't see where I was, or any of the places I've been as a home. They're the same as the tent, just bigger. Granted, it was a lot warmer, and I at least had a mattress to sleep on, but that was it. There was no homely comforts, there was no happiness. There was no family." She seemed surprised that I was telling her so much, and I honestly was, too. Something made me want to tell her everything she asked me to. "Life in that place was…" I frowned. "It was the closest I'll ever get to a real hell on earth. It was the worst thing ever to happen to me, and it was the only thing I had for sixteen years. That's the reason I acted how I did when you grabbed me." I grabbed her wrist, then, bringing it level with my chest and mimed writing on it. "My life was not easy, Anna." She nodded, but otherwise didn't say anything, just waited for me to continue.

I let her hand go somewhat begrudgingly before I went on. "Anyways, I came here because my mom wanted me to be here. She wanted me to come back and learn about the place I was born in. To learn about my dad." I grabbed her wrist again and started walking up away from the water, toward a small log that I sat down on, inviting her to sit beside me. When she sat, I let her go and started talking. "My mom was crazy about my dad." I grabbed the pictures from my pocket and held the one out to her, which she took, looking at the three of us with a sad smile on her face. "When he died… it broke her. She lost everything important to her, the one exception being me, I guess. The grief was just too much, she couldn't go on. She struggled with her depression for months, moved away from this place hoping it would make things better. It didn't." Apparently I had started crying at some point, because when I rubbed at my eye my hand came back wet. "So she got rid of her feelings the only way she knew how." I let her fill in that blank on her own. "Being here in this place is like being close to them again for me. It's like living in their shadow, almost. I feel at home here. I never felt that anywhere else. That's why living in a tent and bathing in a lake is worth losing what I had, because what I had was nothing. I've gained something by coming here, I didn't lose a thing."

"Wow…" she said, watching me as I stared out at the water. "Are you okay?" I wiped my eyes and nodded, looking at her with a smile. "Yeah. I'm good. That's my story. Well, part of it… but that's the most significant part of it. The rest is…" I trailed off, but she just nodded like she understood. "Hopefully I didn't freak you out with all that." She shook her head, standing. "Nope. I'm just glad to get to know you better." She smiled as I stood with her. "Well that's way more than enough about me. Tell me about yourself." She rolled her eyes and started walking again. "Well my story isn't nearly as uh…" she frowned struggling to find words. "Depressing?" I offered, and she laughed, rolling her eyes again. "I guess. It isn't as depressing as yours was. My mom and dad didn't have the love that yours did, they split when I was about ten. My mom got custody and I got to see my dad every weekend whenever he had the time – he worked a lot, which was one of the major causes for their split up… but he didn't have the time to take care of me. That's why I'm out here. Anyways, she got in a car accident almost a year ago..." she was clearly struggling to hold back tears of her own. "her car was totaled. She apparently died on impact. I went to live with my dad after that, but like I said, he doesn't really have time to take care of me. I spent a lot of time reading and drawing, playing on my computer and stuff when I wasn't at school. He decided it might be a good idea for me to come and live with Bella and her dad for a while, so we arranged things and now I'm here for the next year or so."

"I can't imagine what that must be like." I said after a few minutes. "Losing your mom like that, I mean." She gave me a confused look. "You lost your mom too, though. You know exactly what it's like." I shook my head slowly at her. "Yeah, I lost my mom too. But I didn't know her. I remember her face, her smile… her death. I remember little things, but I don't remember her as a person. I never chatted with her, argued with her… I never grew close to her. She's my mom, and I love her, but I never developed that love. I didn't have the chance. You did, you got all that, you got to make all those memories, and then you lost her. I can't imagine that. The pain must be..." I shook my head again. "Indescribable." She shrugged, but I could tell that I'd pretty much hit the nail on the head. We walked on in silence for an hour or so, stopping every once in a while for a break before we eventually decided to head back.

We made our way back to Jake's house and found him and Bella standing at the door. "Where'd you to go?" He asked as we got within earshot. "Walk." I replied plainly. "We walked on the beach." Anna sighed, and I could swear I heard her eyes roll in her head. "Captain talkative here was kind enough to come with me." We came to a stop at the bottom of the little ramp. "Why, did I miss the bonfire?" I quirked an eyebrow at that. The bonfire? I remembered that was tonight, but why was she coming? It was supposed to be about all the old stories, the origins of our pack right? She was just human, so why was she coming? Bella knew about the supernatural stuff because of her boyfriend the vampire. Did she have a similar situation going on? The idea of her being anything with a vampire made my stomach clench up. That couldn't be true. It just couldn't. Jake noticed what must have been a strange look on my face at mention of the fire. "Nah, you didn't miss it. It doesn't start for another hour or so, I was wondering if Cam had forgotten." I frowned at the nickname. "She knows, by the way. About us. Kinda hard not to when your cousin's so close with a leech." It was Bella's turn to roll her eyes. "Wait, you know?" She glared at me, then. Taking in the sight of me, as if just noticing that my body had started changing since we first met. "So you're…" I nodded. "Since yesterday."

"Huh. That must be weird." I started laughing, but Bella interrupted me.

"But wait, doesn't that mean he's angry all the time? Volatile? He seems pretty normal to me." Bella interjected. I stopped laughing and looked at Jake with a quirked eyebrow. I was interested in the answer to this question. "Well normally he would be. But Cameron's kind of weird about that. He had started phasing before but managed to stop it before it actually happened, and finally shifted yesterday after some… provoking." He frowned at this, but I just nodded. "Yeah, he's a dick by the way." I pointed at Jake, who rolled his eyes. "Anyways, he's abnormally calm for one of us. I think it has something to do with how he grew up. It's impossible to say." Bella looked curious, but Anna nodded like she understood. Which I suppose she did now. "So he's the opposite of Paul, basically?" Bella asked, earning a smirk and a nod from Jake. I had no clue who Paul was, but something told me we were nothing alike apart from the wolf thing.

"So what's it like?" The two of us had started walking toward the beach again after an hour, and I had my hand stuffed in my pockets as we walked. Jake and Bella were a ways ahead of us, talking quietly. "What do you mean?"

"Being you know… a werewolf." I sighed at the word, it was still weird to me.

"It's… weird. Cool, but weird. For the rest of them it's kind of a curse. The constant anger, the danger of phasing and all that, it's supposed to be pretty hard. For me it's like freedom, its amazing being able to run as fast as I can and the added strength is nice and all. I'm warmer than I used to be, so cold doesn't affect me as bad. I'm still really new to it all, so it's kinda confusing. I'll get stronger as time goes on, too apparently. Jake told me I won't stop changing for a month or so."

"That's nice. You're definitely taller than before, I can tell that much."

"Yeah that kind of happened over night."

"Do you want me to keep what you told me to yourself? About your past, I mean." She asked suddenly.

I thought about it for a second. "If you don't mind." I gave her an apologetic smile, which she returned. "Of course. I am glad you told me, though. It's nice to get to know you better. I was serious when I said I wanted to be your friend."

"Even though I'm a weird kid that turns into a wolf when he gets mad?" she laughed at this.

"Especially because you're a weird kid that turns into a wolf when he gets mad." She nodded, bumping into my shoulder again playfully. "So…" she looked unsure about what she was about to say or ask.

"Ask me anything, I honestly don't mind." She smiled again at that before nodded.

"I was just wondering… about your step dad." I nodded, signaling her to go on. "What did he do that made you like that?" she asked finally.

"I'm… I can't talk about it. Not right now. Not yet. I'm sorry, but it's just too much."

"It was that bad?" her voice was low, almost sad.

"Worse. I'm very… messed up…" I looked away from her, shifting my attention to the trees, my hands curled into fists in my pocket. "Hey," she placed her hand gently on my forearm, prompting me to look back at her. "It's okay. You don't ever have to tell me if you don't want to. Anybody would be messed up if they had gone through what you did, and you seem to have come out fine."

We walked in silence for a few minutes before I finally spoke. "Thanks." I said. She just nodded and smiled, wrapping her arm around mind as we walked. The closeness, instead of repulsing me or making me shy away, felt good. It was nice.

Eventually we came up on the bonfire, placed on a cliff I had never been to before. The group looked up at our approach and suddenly all eyes were on me. I was the new blood, so naturally everybody wanted to size me up, see what I was like. I felt myself start to shy away, my feet dragging slightly before Anna squeezed my arm, looking up at me with a smile, and I found confidence I didn't know I had inside her eyes. What is this woman doing to me?

Jake introduced Bella, Anna and I to the pack, motioning to each member in turn as he mentioned their names. "Hey, vampire girl!" one of them called out, earning a shy smile from her as she and Jake took their seats. They watched me as I stood, Anna standing quietly at my side, her arm still wrapped around mine. "Hey, Cameron." One of them called, the oldest of the group. I recognized his voice, and nodded. "Sam." I replied. The atmosphere changed at once as one of them held up a poker with a hotdog on the end to me, inches from my face. "Hungry?" I grabbed the dog with my teeth and sat down, Anna releasing my arm and sitting beside me between Bella and I. "Starving." I replied, earning a smile from him ss he skewered another one and held it over the fire. "Cool. I'm Quil. Welcome to the party." He gave me a smile that I returned. "Cameron and thank you, I'm glad to be here." I said honestly. After that, the makeshift party went on without a hitch. As a group, we must have gone through at least five dozen hotdogs, several bags of chips and practically a keg of Soda. Jacob was taunting Paul with the last hotdog, and I was smiling at the exchange. Paul was touchy, there was no denying that but when Jake tossed it over to him, he returned to normal quicker than anything I'd seen.

Bella had said something about needing to leave, Anna sighed along beside her, shifting like she was about to get up. "Don't start _that _yet." Jacob whispered to her. I could hear him, and the rest of them could probably hear as well. "The best part is coming." He said something about it being Quil's first time hearing all the stories and knowing they're true, and I looked over at him to find he was looking at me as well. So we had something in common. We were both new to this. We smiled at each other before returning our gaze to the fire, and I knew then and there that I'd grow to like Quil. The group changed all at once as Billy cleared his throat. He'd arrived at some point near the end of dinner, and was sitting alongside two others I didn't recognize. Everybody seemed to be paying close attention suddenly, like something have physically changed to make them that way. As Billy spoke, I settled against the rock I was leaning against, feeling Anna do the same beside me.

"The people dwelt in peace. Taha Aki fathered many sons, and some of these found that, after they had reached the age of manhood, they, too, could transform into wolves. The wolves were all different, because they were spirit wolves and reflected the man they were inside."

"So that's why Sam's fur is all black," Quil said quietly, a grin widening on his face. "Black heart, Black fur."

"And your chocolate fur reflects what? How _sweet _you are? And what about you?" he looked at me, a smile on his face. "White as snow. Does that symbolize how boring and plain you are?"

I hadn't realized that I had white fur as a wolf… what did that mean? My curiosity and discovery didn't stop me from making a smart-ass response, though. "Or maybe the lighter the color the smarter the wolf. Which makes you...?" the group broke into snickers, but Billy continued on as if we hadn't even spoken.

The stories ended slowly, and the group had grown quiet. They stared at each other with a sadness I hadn't realized would be in their eyes before as the gravity of our situation felt more real than ever. The yellow eyed vampires, _Bella's _vampires, the struggle with others of their kind while maintaining a treaty nobody was sure was genuine… it was a lot of responsibility I hadn't even been aware of before. These parts of the stories hadn't been there. There was nothing about any treaty, and there was nothing about yellow eyed vampires. The more I learned about them, the more I started to dislike them. Something that lived on blood – on death. Nice vampires or not, they were all murderers. Every single one of them worse than James had ever been to me. Worse than any human that had ever been. Countless lives ended to fuel one shallow excuse for a man? And it would go on forever because they just couldn't die. The world was a cruel place. Quil interrupted my thoughts suddenly, "Burden. I think it's cool." I noticed Seth nod in agreement, and I couldn't help but agree to an extent, though I kept my thoughts to myself.

I looked down at Anna, she looked tired. Apparently Bella was too, because she had ended up passed out, her head lying against the rock as Jake stood, lifting her gently. The four of us stood and Jake and Bella started to walk off, but I lulled behind, staring at the fire a bit longer. "It was nice to meet you, Cam." Quil said suddenly, catching my attention. Great, the name was going to circulate. "Yeah, you too. All of you. Thanks for having me." Anna nodded beside me, thanked them as well and started to walk. I waved and trailed along behind her. "So what'd you think?" I asked her. She let out a long sigh. "I think I don't want my sister dating one of them." She said after a moment. I nodded, but otherwise kept quiet. I noted that she'd said sister again, they must be close. "I just… I know she's in deep with this. She wants to be one of them." I shivered at the thought, and noticed that she did, too. "I can't even imagine. I wish she would fall for Jacob instead. She loves him. She can't see it, but she loves him. I just wish it were enough." I let out a sigh as well.

"So what, volatile werewolves are better than vampires who eat animals instead of humans?" she chuckled at the idea. "Well they're certainly the ideal vampires if that's even a thing, but aside from that… I honestly think it would be better that way."

"I suppose, but look at Emily." I countered. It was pretty obvious what had happened there. "She'll never be the same after that, and Sam has to feel horrible about it, but mistakes can happen. What if he just… explodes and freaks out on her one day?" she shook her head. "Better scarred than dead." She sighed.

"Yeah, you're probably right."

By this point, we had come to a stop at Bella's truck, and Jake was talking on the phone with somebody. "Are you good to drive back?" I asked, noting that Bella was currently passed out in the passenger seat. "Yeah, I'll be fine. We'll have an escort no doubt, anyways." She rolled her eyes, and I couldn't help but smile at the action. "Today was fun. We should hang out more, it'll be nice having company other than my uncle, cousin and Edward." I gave her a confused look. "Her boyfriend. The vampire."

"Ah." A shiver went up my spine at the thought, but I shrugged it off. "Well I'm always here. Do you have a pen?" she grabbed a green marker from her jeans pocket and I decided not to question it as I wrote on her palm. "I don't have an address, but here's my cell number. Call whenever, I've always got it on me. If I don't answer, just find Jake and I'll probably be either with him or somewhere close by. He'll know where I am."

"Cool. See you later, Cam."

"Not you, too." I groaned. She smirked, but shut the driver door shut and started the monster. Bella had woken up to talk to Jake by then, but Anna insisted that she drive and they were off. "So how was it?" he asked as we walked back toward his house. "Fun. They were all pretty cool. I like Quil."

"Yeah, he's pretty cool." Jake nodded. "You and Anna hit it off, huh?" I shrugged.

"There's just something about her. I didn't feel it when we met on the bus on the way here, but when I saw her earlier today… it was like…" I struggled to find the words to explain it.

"Like gravity shifted, like it was no longer her holding you to the earth anymore, but her?" he finished for me, his eyes wide.

"Yeah. Why, what does that mean?"

"It means you're the third one." He sighed, irritated. "The third one to imprint."

"What the hell is imprinting?"

"It's finding your soul mate, like finding that one perfect person meant for you. She became your reason for living , essentially. You'll put her first form now on. She's your priority, and you will protect her for the rest of your life."

"That's crap!" I yelled, suddenly. Startling him and myself. "Why?!"

"I don't know." He replied, still surprised at my outburst. "Why is it a problem?"

"Oh, I don't know maybe because I'm the worst person for her? A werewolf with problems he can't talk about with her? A person who can't bear to have her touch even his arm? A person who freaks the fuck out at a raised hand? I'm damaged, Jake! I have more problems than hairs on my head and I've been in literally zero relationships! She can't be happy with me. She won't be, there's no way in hell she'll want… this!" I waved over myself.

"Woah, calm down dude. You don't have to be _with _her. You'll be whatever she needs you to be. Protector, friend, brother and yes maybe even something beyond that. It's not up to you, but I can promise you now that you're everything she needs you to be. The spirits chose her for you and you for her. Besides, you're not the worst person for her. You're a good kid, you've got a good head on your shoulders. Sure, you have no experienced and you're a little fucked up, but who isn't? Maybe she's the one who'll help you become something more. Maybe she'll help you get over what that bastard did to you."

I sat quiet, watching him with as blank an expression I could muster. Part of me wanted to believe him, to let myself just go with it and be whatever he'd just said. Another part of me said to run as far away as I could, separate myself from her and give her the best shot at whatever life she should have. It was painful to think about. The idea that I'd never see her face again hurt deeper than any pain I'd felt, physical or emotional. That wasn't an option. As if he'd read my mind, Jake spoke. "If you're thinking about running, it won't work. She needs you as much as you need her. She'll feel empty without you around, like a piece of her is missing. She won't be happy. If you leave, she'll feel just as bad as you will. Do you really want that for her?"

"Fuck you, Jacob." I turned my back on him and walked away, back toward the beach away from Jake and away from my discovery. I wanted to run, to phase and just run around the perimeter and clear my mind… but before I'd really considered it I knew I'd end up going to her house to be closer. It was maddening.

I returned to my little tent and collapsed onto the pillows with a sigh, letting my head fall against the makeshift pillow my blanket had become. I kicked my shoes off and let my eyes close. My phone buzzed beside me, and I grabbed it from my pocket, flipping it open to look at the new text message.

_had fun today. we really should hang out more. ur still weird_

_-A_

I fiddled with the little device for a full five minutes before I managed to figure the thing out and get the letters typed up.

_So did I. So are you. I have something I need to tell you about anyways, so I'll probably come to your house tomorrow, if you don't mind. _

_-This message was sent using AT&T Per Minute Service. _

Her reply was almost instantaneous.

_literate i see. im ok with it come at around twelve if u can. bella and ed should be gone by then. _

_change ur signature._

_-A_

_Yeah, I am. I don't go to school to type like a fourth grader. I'll be there at Twelve. Don't be surprised if you see a wolf in your back yard, I don't have a car. Or a license. _

_-C_

_looking forward to it CAM. goodnight. _

_-A_

_I hate you. _

_-C_


	12. Chapter 12 - Broken

I woke at nine the next morning to the sound of footsteps for what seemed like the millionth time. I stepped through the tent flap and stood to come level with Jake as he watched me. "I'm sorry for what I said last night, I should have phrased it differently. I didn't mean to offend you."

I sighed, grabbing my phone and checking it, noting that I'd received a text. "No, I'm sorry. I was rude. This is just…" I ran a hand through my hair. "Hard, you know? I don't mind the imprint, in fact I'd probably welcome it if the situation was any different, it's just… she deserves better than what I have to offer. I can't be supportive, I don't know how."

"Well that's kind of dumb." He said after a minute, earning a glare from me. He held his hands up in surrender. "I'm just saying. Look, you deserve some happiness. She does, too. You can and will be more than good enough for her, you kinda don't have the choice anymore. Besides, from the way I saw her hanging on your arm earlier, I'd say she's already made up her mind." I groaned, zipping up the front of the tent after kicking my shoes off and tossing them in. "Where are you going?" he asked as I removed my shirt. "You know where I'm going. I need to talk to her about the imprint thing."

"Need or want?"

"Fuck you, Jacob." He laughed, and I smiled as he reached into his pocket. "Here, I had an extra and you'll need one." He tossed me a small strap just like the one he wore around his leg. "Why?"

"Clothes." He answered, miming to where I'd set my shirt on the ground. "Carrying them in your mouth sucks. Trust me."

"Thanks."

"Sure, sure. Have fun. Oh, by the way you're going to smell vamp for the first time over there… it's strong. Don't freak out over it, ok?"

"Sure, sure." I mimic'd him, earning a smile before he walked away.

The text I received read

_they left early u can come over whenever_

-A

I removed the rest of my clothes and tied them to my ankle before sighing, trying to remember how to phase. To phase back, I had to speed up my heart rate, calm my thoughts and slow my breathing, right? So to become the wolf I need to be angry or at the very least excited. I thought about James at first, trying to trigger that anger that was supposed to be dormant in me, but I just couldn't find it. My thoughts eventually drifted on Anna, my purpose for this little excursion, and what I'd have to tell her. My heart sped up, and I felt the faint shimmer in the air as my body changed and I dropped to all fours, marveling at the ease with which I'd just phased.

_Sup, Cam? _I recognized Quil's voice.

_Yo. Not a lot, just going to run an errand. _

_What kind of errand? _It was Sam that spoke this time, and I frowned. He'd have to know, so I let my mind drift over Anna's face, and involuntarily the feeling that I'd gotten the first time I looked at her. The way gravity shifted and my life changed instantaneously. My thoughts turned sad as I cut them off.

_Well I'll be damned. Second day as a wolf and you already imprinted?_

_Looks to be that way. _

_Hey man, it's a good thing. It's how I found Emily, _he drifted over her face, and I imagined how it had gotten that way, earning a growl from Sam. I wiped the thought away instantly and the atmosphere returned to normal. _Congrats. _

_It doesn't feel like something to be congratulated on. I'm nowhere near good enough for her. _

Sam just snickered as I started to run toward the boarder. _Take it from me, you're exactly what she needs in her life, especially considering the path her cousin's chosen._ I growled at the thought of the vampires. I could see why we were said to be mortal enemies, the thought of them repulsed me.

_She needs that protection, the security. She also needs somebody to understand her. I don't know much about you, but I get the feeling you can be pretty understanding. I saw what happened when you phased for the first time. _I imagined Jake's fist raised at me, my reaction, and then imposed James' body over Jake's, the same posture, the same raised fist, but with an angry expression instead of a regretful one. Damn it, this mind link sucks.

_Don't sweat it, man. We understand. _Quil thought toward me. I could see him running around a perimeter that seemed familiar to him.

_Isn't there a quote about that? It's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all? I say go for it, it sounds like a good thing to me. _A new voice interjected, one I recognized from the fire.

_Shut up, Seth._ Sam and I said in unision.

_Shutting._

* * *

My run was short, but by the time I reached her house with a little assistance from Sam, the scent of vampire was incredible. It smelled like something too-sweet had been left to rot inside a closed space, and I had decided to open it up and take a whiff. It was over-powering and disgusting. It made my hackles raise and put me on edge instantly My nose was set to burning with the strength of it. _Definitely don't like vampires._ I grumbled toward the other three, earning agreements. I trotted around inside the forest before coming out through the break in the trees to take the sight in. I saw a face staring back at me from the window downstairs smile before it rushed to the backdoor, sending my heart into jumping jacks as she came through the back door. _Can I get some privacy here? _I asked the other three. _Guys, phase back. Cam, just howl when you're finished. We'll hear you from here. _I could see through his eyes that he had been trailing behind me, only quite far away. Smart guy. I felt the other two leave us as I thanked Sam just before he left me alone.

"Wow, you really are white as snow." She spoke, earning a huff from me as I stepped through the trees, exposing myself entirely as I walked slowly toward her. She gasped as I sat down, looking down at her. "Good god, you're as big as a horse." I chuckled at this, the sound coming out throaty, a deep bass I hadn't expected to hear. It startled the both of us. She approached slowly, extending a hand which she placed on my shoulder, running her fingers through the fur there sending small electric shocks up my arm and through my entire body like nothing I'd ever felt before. "Are the others listening to your thoughts?" she asked suddenly, apparently remembering that part of the fable. I shook my head, a slow side to side movement. "Okay well… you can change back, I guess." I shook my head, looking pointedly at her, then the door repeatedly.

"Why do you want me to go inside?" I stood and turned, showing her the clothes tied to my leg. She smirked but ran back into the house, and I walked into the trees. A howl, huh? Shouldn't be hard. I thought about the action, and as if my body knew what I wanted, I threw my head back and let out a loud howl, deep and louder than anything I'd ever heard. I felt two of them phase back just as I phased out and removed my clothes. I slid them on and stepped out of the trees just as two more howls echoed through the trees, faint but strong at the same time. I stepped through the back door and Anna glared at me. "What the crap was that about? You scared the shit out of me!"

I laughed, shutting the door behind me. "Well, they phased back to give me some privacy. I had to let them know they could shift back." She glared at me for a moment longer before she shrugged and walked away into the kitchen. I followed after her and watched as she held out a pack of bacon. "Hungry?"

* * *

"So… imprinting, right? Bella said Jake explained that to her yesterday. She said it was like love at first sight but stronger. What does that have to do with you, though? Did you imprint on somebody?" she seemed downcast at the thought of it. A small part of me was glad about that. "Well that's why I'm here." I let out a slow breath, trying desperately to voice my thoughts. "Yes, I imprinted on somebody." I looked her in the eye again. "Remember when you got out of the truck yesterday?" she nodded instantly, as if she'd been thinking about it. "Yeah, it felt like…" her eyes widened as realization struck her. "Wait, seriously? You imprinted on me, then?"

I nodded, the motion slow and sad as her expression turned to a frown. "But why then? Why not on the bus?"

"I wasn't a wolf on the bus. It can only happen after we change."

"That's intensely creepy."

"Yup. I'm sorry."

"It didn't feel like love at first sight, though?" she frowned, staring hard at me like expecting to feel something. "I don't feel like I love you. I mean, there's something that kind of… draws me to you, like a pull almost, but it definitely isn't love. I'm not ready for that, if that's what this is."

"Well it isn't exactly love at first sight. It doesn't even have to be love. It's basically…" I trailed off, looking around the place absentmindedly before my eyes settle on the fridge. I stand and walk toward it, grabbing two magnets from it before I walked back to the table. "It's like a magnet. If I set this magnet on the table or the ground," I did so. "gravity holds it there, keeps it from floating up to the ceiling." I waved my hand over it. "But suddenly, if I introduce a second magnet," I held it over the one on the table and watched as the two clanked together. "It's not gravity holding it there, it's the magnet." I set them both down. "You're my magnet. I don't love you and you don't love me. You may never feel that way. The imprint bond is whatever you need it to be. Friend, brother, protector or stronger than that." I tossed the magnets back at the fridge and watched them stick to it without problem. "It isn't love at first sight. It's like… companionship? Friendship maybe, but infinitely stronger."

"Protector, what do you mean by that?" she inquired, her face impassive, held in a mask so as to hide her emotions from me. "It means I will protect you. From anything. Human, vampire, wolf… it doesn't matter. A guardian, I guess. Think guard dog the size of a horse." She almost smiled at the analogy. Almost. "this is…"

"Yeah. Weird, confusing, sudden and irritating."

"What do you mean irritating?" she frowned up at me as I stood.

"I mean… it feels like having your choices swept out from under you. Like now I don't have any choice but to be whatever this is. I mean, I don't mind to be honest, but whether I like it or not, eventually my feelings will change. Jake described it as the spirits choosing us for each other. The perfect match. Two pieces to the same puzzle. The only problem is all my edges have been shaved and I don't fit anywhere. I'm imperfect, damaged. Broken." There was that word again… "You deserve better, and I don't want this," I waved at the both of us. "to take your choices from you. I'm not your perfect match, I'm far from it." I vented, leaning against the counter as she stood and moved to stand beside me. "You're dumb. There's nothing wrong with you, you just had a rough life." I shook my head, staring at the ceiling. "You're wrong about that."

"No, you are. I don't want to be protected, I don't want you to be my brother or the bestest thing to ever happen to me." I smiled at the word and the tone with which she said it, like a love struck teenager. "I still just want you to be my friend." She looked at me now, as I leveled my eyes with hers. "If it goes beyond that, so be it. We'll deal with your problems as they come."

"I guess."

"You may be broken, Cam." she said. "But even broken things can be put back together."

"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty back together again." I quoted, watching irritation flicker across her face.

"That tale is ancient. We have glue and cement now. Besides that, who the hell asks a horse to put an egg together again? That's stupid. He was a terrible king." She glared at me and I glared back. "Glare all you want, wolf boy. I can and will put humpty together again."

"You can try."

"I'll succeed."

"You're on."

After the tense little conversation, she made me sit down and eat, though it was less force than she would have liked to believe. We went through the entire pack of bacon though I had forced myself to eat less than I usually would. I doubted her uncle would be happy if I ate everything in her fridge – and I could very easily do just that. So a pack of bacon, half a dozen eggs and a little thing of biscuits later we sat, her full and me merely sated for the moment. This whole eating thing was going to get annoying.

"So you graduated, huh?" I asked her as I polished off the last biscuit. She had started washing our plates. I stood to help her dry them. "Yeah, last year. What about you?"

"Nah, I moved a lot and ended up getting held back a year. I'm finishing up my senior year now. I'm supposed to be in school now, but this wolf thing has kind of caught me off guard." She smiled, handing me a wet plate that I began to dry.

"Have any of the others imprinted?" she asked me suddenly as I put the plate away. "As far as I know Sam and Jared and I have. Sam was the first to. It's supposed to be really rare." I shrugged. She handed me another plate and I started drying it slowly. "I saw them at the bonfire, they were the only two with girlfriends. They were super close." I nodded. "Yeah, apparently so."

"Do you think we'll be like that?"

"Do you want us to be like that?" I countered. She rolled her eyes. "I asked you first."

I groaned, setting the plate down and looking at her, making a point of catching her when she was had stopped washing. I stared into her eyes for a moment, her staring back curiously. "W…what are you doing?" she stammered, making me grin. "Trying to answer your question." I held my position for a few seconds. "Nope, I can't tell, I'm not psychic and I can't tell the future. Maybe you should go get your palm read." She punched me in the shoulder while I laughed, grabbing the last plate out of her hand and starting to dry it, watching the blush fade from her face. "I have no idea. Now your turn to answer my question." I smiled politely.

"Nope. I hope we never end up like that. It'd be gross." I frowned at that for a moment earning a laugh from her. "Hah! I knew it!" she pointed at me. "You totally want that, don't you?"

"You just giggled." I smirked at her, avoiding her question. "So?"

"You're such a _girl._" I threw the damp towel at her, laughing at the little squeak she made. I caught it when she threw it back at me. "You're such a jerk." She replied, pouting her lips out. "Thanks." I smiled. I dropped the towel on the counter and returned to the table. "So what's the deal with that? Do you actually want that? A relationship?" she asked, the joking in her tone gone. I blew air out through my closed lips and turned to face her. "I dunno. Part of me does, probably the imprint. The other part of me cringes at the thought of it. I can't imagine being part of a couple. It's just… too strange for me. The closest I've ever been to somebody is how I am with Jake. Friends. Everything else is a mystery to me, I don't know anything, which is a huge part of the reason you're better off with somebody else."

"I guess." She said after a little while, jumping up to sit on the counter. "Did you have anything else to talk to me about, or was it just that?" She asked, brushing a stray hair out of her face.

"It was just that. Why, would you rather I left?"

"Well no, I just don't know what we can really do." I pulled my phone from my pocket and checked the time. I'd been here an hour already. "My idea of fun is reading or painting… what's yours?"

"Sitting on the beach, and I guess running now." She pursed her lips. "Do you like shopping?"

"Is that even a question? Of course not. Spending money gives me ulcers." I faked a shudder. "I don't have a lot of money to shop with. I still need to get a new job. A consistent one that pays enough for me to live on. I'm sick of the tent, I want an apartment or something." She nodded. "Not to mention to feed you. You all eat way too much to maintain how fit you all are."

I looked down at my stomach. I guess I was fit, though I had always been very skinny. I'd started to fill out the past couple months. The consistent meals had helped a lot, but I had a feeling the wolf thing was the main contributor. "True enough. Phasing is really taxing. And running as fast as we can gets super exhausting."

"So you don't like to read?" she asked, earning a shrug from me. "I can read well, but it isn't all that fun to me. At some point the words just start to swim together and I lose my focus. It gets boring."

"Drawing?"

"Nope."

"Computers?"

"Never used one, don't care to."

"Oh my god you're so weird."

"Yep. What else do you do?"

"That's pretty much it. My life's boring." She shrugged.

"Well… what did you used to do? What did you and your mom like to do?" I could tell I'd said the wrong thing instantly. She went from fairly happy to downcast in an instant, looking down at the linoleum floor. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" I frowned, not sure how to apologize. "No, it's okay. It's just hard to think about her, you know?"

"Yeah. I do."

We lapsed into silence for a couple minutes before she slid off the counter and walked toward the staircase. I watched her go, not saying anything until she turned around. "Coming?" she asked, looking down at me before she continued walking.

"Bathroom." She pointed to a door in the hallway we came to once I'd climbed the stairs. She pointed to the door at the end of the hall. "Bella's room." I said for her. She looked at me questioningly, wondering how I knew. "The stink of vampire is more intense there." I explained, and she sighed, but nodded. There was a door to the right, plain white unlike the others. She opened it and walked in. "My room."

I followed her in quietly and looked around. Compared to the rest of the house, this room looked much more lively. The walls were white, but they were plastered with all kinds of different drawings and posters. Some of them were posters of various bands and artists, others were just scenic things like a waterfall crashing over rocks and flowing into a river. There were a few pictures of her mom, a couple of her with her mom and even a few of her, Bella and Charlie. The rest of the pictures were things she'd drawn, and to call them good was the understatement of the century. She's painted sunsets over the ocean, a beautiful picture of a clearing filled with wildflowers of all kinds. There was a lake painted in the background, the sun reflecting off it and sending little beams of light all over the place. There were some animals as well. Dogs, cats, an eagle and surprisingly enough a wolf, though it was just a typical brown wolf, staring out through the painting from its position on a rock. I saw a painting easel on the corner of the room with a little stool. She'd started painting two sets of eyes, golden in hue, as well as the profile for somebody beside it.

"Holy crap, Anna. These are amazing." I strode past her to a stack of un-hung paintings. Some scrapped stuff, some finished stuff she hadn't bothered to hang. "You did all of these?" I asked, holding up an unfinished picture of a hummingbird. "I'm amazed… how long have you been painting?"

"Since I was little. That's my answer, by the way." I looked at her, confused, holding a picture of a cityscape. "You answer?"

"You asked what my mom and I liked to do. This is what we did." She waved her hand to all the paintings. "That stack there, those are all hers. The rest are mine, except this one." She motioned to the one of the wolf. "This is one of her only fully finished ones. It's the last one she painted." I set the ones I was holding down on the stack and looked around at the rest of the room. Part of the room was slanted to follow the shape of the roof, so there were only posters on this portion. Her bed was located directly under it, small but neat, made up perfectly with deep blue sheets and white pillow casings. She sat down on the bed now, watching me as I paced around the room and looked at each different picture. Eventually, I settled myself down on her stool and looked at her, laying on her side, hugging her knees to her chest, eyes on me while I rested my elbows against my knees, leaning forward. "They're beautiful. Both sets. Yours and hers… I can see where you got your talent." she gave me a sad smile, nodding. "She would've liked you. She liked shy boys, she thought they were funny." I sighed. "Shy, huh?" I smiled. "I guess that fits."

"This is my life, now." She said after a while of just lying there, watching me as I continued to look around. "It's all I do. I feel sad, I paint. If I feel happy, I paint. If I feel lonely, I paint. I feel closer to her when I have a brush in my hands."

I grabbed a brush from the small table and held it up, staring at the bristles of the brush in the sunlight filtering through the window. "What do you do when you're sad?" she asked me. I set the brush down and sighed. "That's not important." I said, straightening on the chair. She sat up and frowned at me. "What? What do you mean?"

"It's not important, Anna. I don't do anything." I shrugged. I didn't want to center this on me again. Our conversations always seemed to revolve back around to me. "The expression on your face tells me you're lying. I told you what I do. I showed you something I've only showed to Bella." She looked angry, now. "I think I deserve just a little bit of truth." she demanded. Heaving a sigh, I stood and crossed the room, resting my arms against the sloped ceiling and leaning forward against it, looking out the window. "I don't do anything. Honestly. There's nothing to do when I get sad, nothing to do when I'm lonely or otherwise. I don't talk to anybody about any of this stuff. I can't draw, I don't read, running doesn't help because even then people will be able to hear my thoughts, so there's no release there. Even if it did work, I'd never stop."

"What do you mean?"

"I'd never stop running. I always feel like that." I said finally.

* * *

POV: Anna

He always felt like that? I watched him from my bed, staring out the window, his eyes almost glazed over as he struggled to maintain that mask he constantly wore. He hated to be pittied, he didn't want people to feel sorry for him. Watching it was heart wrenching. What the hell happened to him? I slid off the mattress and walked over to stand in front of him, looking up into his eyes as he registered that I'd moved. I watched as his muscles tensed, his jaw clenched up and that mask fell perfectly over his face like he was trying to hold himself together. "Cameron, you don't have to do that." He looked puzzled for a moment, dropping his hands and stepping away, putting distance between us. "Do what?" he asked, confused. "Hideaway like that. Pretend you've got yourself together, like you're okay. I get it, and it's okay. It's okay to feel sad. You don't have to hide it away like you do."

He seemed shocked that I'd noticed, like he hadn't expected me to read him so easily. Maybe I wouldn't have, normally… but the way I felt when I looked at him on that bus, and then again when we saw each other in La Push, I could see there was this part of him that I wanted desperately to see. To help. I had to get through to him. I just had to. "I don't…" his voice had changed, thick with the emotion he was struggling to suppress. "I need to go." He said it suddenly, catching me off guard. So when he shut the door to my bedroom behind him, I almost didn't follow him out. I yanked the door open and took the stairs two at a time in my haste to catch up to him, but by the time I made it to the bottom he'd already made it outside. "Cameron, wait!" I rushed through the backdoor as he walked toward the trees, yanking his shirt off, stunning me into silence as I saw the scars on his back. It lasted only a moment though, not long enough for him to make it through the trees. "Stop!" I called out.

"Why? What do you want from me? I can't… I can't be that, I can't just let myself do that. If I let myself feel that way. I don't know if I can stop. I'm depressed _constantly._ I wake myself up yelling _every _morning. When I fall asleep, my dreams are filled with my mother's terrified face. I watch her regret what she did _every _night. I lose my mind when I let it through. I can't do that." His voice broke on the last line. "I don't want anything from you, Cam. I just want you to get better. You have to feel the pain to heal, and you _have_ to heal. Some day some time it's going to catch up with you and won't be able to stop it. It's going to get worse and worse and worse until you finally let it happen. You say you're broken. When will you try to put yourself together again? Let me help you! I _can _help you!"

"I can't. I'm sorry. Not today." his shirt was still half off, only over his arms, covering his abdomen as he stared at me, his face returning to how it had been before. Composed. Fake. "Fine. Not today. It doesn't have to be today, or tomorrow or next week, next month. But you _have _to let it in some time, Cam. If you go through life alone it will never get better. I know it hurts. I know when you close your eyes, let yourself feel vulnerable it feels like you're going to fall into pieces, like your heart is going to shatter and break and you won't be able to put it together again. I know what it feels like, you know I do. Don't walk away from a puzzle just because one of the pieces doesn't fit somewhere. If it doesn't fit in one place, it _will _fit somewhere else. It has to. It will work, I can feel it will." I approached him slowly, stopping just in front of him, noting that the tension had returned. "Let me help you, Cam." I closed my eyes and reached out to touch his chest, but when I opened them again he was gone. "LET ME HELP." I shouted into the trees, watching as a streak of white raced through them, disappearing before I could even blink again.

"Please…"


	13. Chapter 13 - Flashbacks

_Cameron? _The voices that greeted me were confused, but that quickly changed to panic as they listened to my thoughts and the pictures that accompanied them. The panicked tone to them, the thoughts of what she had said, the darkness that threatened to take over if I went through with it… they felt it all. And for once, I didn't care. About anything. I didn't care that I had left my imprint behind, distressed and worrying over me, I didn't care that my thoughts, once so private and reserved were being opened up to everybody I didn't even know, I didn't care that my mind was on playback, going over everything I'd been through on fast forward. The first time he'd hit me, the things I'd done and stolen against my will, the time it'd escalated, going beyond simple slapping or punching. My mind went black, not because I'd shut it off, but because I'd gone back. Back to the cellar.

* * *

"Cory, another drink." His voice slurred as he spoke the wrong name, calling me somebody else. I was used to it by now. I grabbed the bottle off the table and brought it to him, dumping the last of it into his glass, spilling over the remains of what ice was left as he sighed in pleasure. "That's the last of it." I spoke timidly, stepping away from him and dropping the glass into the sink with the others. It had stopped working, so I'd turned it into a garbage bin until I stole a real one for us. "S'fine. You'll go get another one." He said just before downing the glass. "Now?" I asked, frowning. "What do you mean now? Does my glass look full?" he shook it violently, the ice clinking on the side. "It's raining." I said. I was cold enough, the last thing I'd need was to walk for two hours in the rain to bring him back a bottle when he was just going to be asleep when I got back, anyways. "And?"

"And I'll get sick…" I could see the change in his face the instant he got angry. "What's the matter, are you cold?" He asked, seemingly genuine but I knew it was a farce. I nodded anyways. Lying would make it worse. "Can't have that, can we?" He was on me faster than I'd been able to react… not that I would anyway. He yanked me up by my wrist and pulled me toward the kitchen. "Please, I'm sorry! I'll go, I swear! I'll bring back three of them, I promise!"

"Oh I know you will." He said, voice filled with anger as he pulled me to a stop. "But I can't have my baby boy going out there all cold, can I?" What was he talking about? I heard a clicking sound from my position on the ground. "We'll just let that heat up." His voice sounded soothing, but it only served to terrify me more. "What are-" he yanked me up before I could finish, bringing me to my feet. He'd lit all the burners on the stove and held my hands over the one that didn't have something over it, above the flame so that it was uncomfortable, but not so much that it was hurting me. "Warm enough?" he sneered down at me, not even remotely bothered by my struggling. "No? How about this?" he grabbed a fistful of my hair and held my face up to it. I could feel the heat of the flames just below my skin. I was crying then, calling out to him, begging him to stop, telling him I was warm enough and that I'd go to the store right away. "No, you're not quite warm enough yet, I can feel you shivering still." He said. The shivering was actually me shaking, but It didn't make a difference. He turned off the burner and relief ran through me as he let me up. I should have known he wasn't done.

His hands were around my wrists again, bringing them up and setting them down directly on the burner. My screams only served to widen his smile as he held them there, the agony sending dark spots flickering through my vision. He kept them there for a full minute before I managed to break free, falling backward on the floor as I held them up, shaking violently as the skin puckered out, some of it had been burned off. "WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT FIGHTING ME?!" he screamed down at me. I looked up to find a pan in his hand, fresh off the stove as he brought it down directly onto the side of my face, the force of the swing pushing me across the floor. The heat on my cheek was nothing to the burns on my hands, but it still hurt enough to make me cry out. He wasn't done. He finally grabbed my by the collar of my shirt and dragged me across the floor, toward the door to the cellar. The previous owner of the house had used the basement as a wine cellar. It was built to contain cold. "I think you're a little too warm now. Maybe you'd like to spend the night down here." He tossed me in, my form tumbling down the stairs before I sprawled out on the cold floor. I heard the heavy door slam shut and the lock slide home, locking me down here. It was here I stayed for the rest of the weekend. Another happy birthday.

* * *

I snapped back into reality to find myself still running, but faster than I'd ever ran before. The others were still there, stunned into silence by the memory, more vivid than anything I'd ever felt before. Every bit as vivid as my dreams. They saw it all of it. I could almost feel the burns on my hands again. _Holy shit, Camer- _their voices cut off as I phased back, somehow calming myself and pulling myself together in an instant so that I stood, completely exposed in the middle of nowhere somewhere in the forest, my body shaking in the aftermath. I started walking in the direction of my little camp. I'd come this way to Anna's house, I must have been following my scent subconsciously as I ran away. It wouldn't be hard to follow it the rest of the way, even as a human.

It took me an entire thirty minutes, but by the time I got there, I'd completely composed myself again. I was half expecting somebody to be waiting for me there, but to my relief I was completely alone. I yanked a pair of pants out of my backpack and slid them on, then sat down, leaning against the rock, the same way I'd slept for a month. I didn't sleep, just sat. Staring up at the canopy of leaves while my head pounded, the aftermath of the memory still fresh in my brain. The phantom pain in my hands was there still, and I looked down at my palms, noticing the skin, still too rough but healed completely. It hadn't scarred. For some reason I never did scar, except when he went a little too far. My hand drifted to my abdomen, my fingers running along the scars there. They hurt me even now, though not even close to when it'd happened. I remembered vividly the day I'd received them. The feel of the blade as it punctured, and the searing agony as it was yanked upward. It hadn't been deep, but it hurt like nothing I'd ever felt. The only thing close to it was the feeling of phasing, of my bones breaking and re-setting themselves in an instant. The pain had vanished thankfully, and I was grateful for it. My mind drifted back to Anna now, and I regretted leaving her, but I suppose she had gotten what she'd wanted. I let it in, though it was against my will. If it's like that every time… I don't know if I can handle it. I reached for my pocket only to realize I'd left my phone when I phased, along with the remainders of yet another pair of clothing. Great. I'd have to go back to get it. It could wait for a couple days.

I sat in that position for three hours before it became uncomfortable, and I moved to the beach, laying out on the sand to look up at the clouds, dark and gloomy threatening to start raining on me. I wouldn't be surprised if they did. Another thirty minutes went by before what I'd been expecting finally happened. I heard him approach but didn't say anything even when I felt the sand shift beside me as he sat. He didn't break the quiet for another fifteen minutes. Finally, tired with the silence, he spoke. "You okay?" I looked up at him, meeting his eyes, answering his question with silence. "Will you be okay?" I shook my head. "Ever?" I shook my head again. "Why not?" I frowned at this question. I had to answer. "I'm never okay, Jake."

"Because of that?" Apparently he'd been there, too. I hadn't noticed. Then again, it was his voice that had spoke after my little flashback finished. "That was intense." He said when I didn't answer.

"I've had worse." I shrugged again.

"I believe you."

"Why?" I sat up and scooted backward so I was sitting beside him. "I've seen your scars. You also talk in your sleep." I nodded, knowing this. "What do I say?"

"Almost never anything coherent." So yells, then. I suppose that shouldn't surprise me. "Did she make that happen?" I took a deep breath before letting it go slowly. "Kind of. She prompted it, but it's always on the surface. If I let myself think about it too much it happens. It's never that real, though. That was like dreaming." He shivered beside me, and I looked at him questioningly. "How do you deal with hit?"

"That's the problem, apparently. According to Anna. I don't deal with it. I guess that's what happens when I fight it back all the time."

"What did she say to you…?"

"She wants me to deal with it, to confront it."

"Why?"

"So that what happened today doesn't happen again in the future. She thinks it'll get worse."

"Is she right?"

"Probably."

We drifted off into silence again. He held something out to me after a while, and I looked down to find my phone in his hand. I took it and pocketed it. "You've got a text." He said. "It can wait."

"I don't think it can." I looked at him, more exhasperated than angry. "I'm gonna go. I told her I'd give it to you, she apparently found it in the woods along with your clothes."

"Okay." I said plainly, looking out at the ocean.

"Give her a call. She's worried."

With that, he stood and walked away. I watched him go for a minute before pulling the phone from my pocket. I slid it open and tapped the screen, bringing up my text messages. There were three of them.

_r u ok? I didnt mean to make u angry. pls txt me back._

_-A_

_its been 2 hours, i just wanna know if ur ok._

_-A _

_found ur phone in the woods. im calling jake to come and bring it to u. pls call when u get it. _

_-A_

I brought up her name in the contacts and pressed call, holding it up to my ear as it rang. "Hello? Cameron?" her voice was stressed. I frowned, not happy that I'd been the reason for it.

"Hey." I said quietly. She sighed, as if hearing my voice confirmed that I was okay. "Are you okay?" she asked, concerned. "I've been better." I admitted, bringing my knee up to rest my head against it. "Jake said you remembered something?" Of course he told her. Why wouldn't he? She's my soul…mate…whatever thing. "Kind of."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not now."

"When?" I groaned, falling back into the sand, still holding the phone to my ear. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't pry like that." She said, her voice barely audible. "No, it's… it's okay." I grew quiet for a moment. "Can I come over?" she asked. "Over where? I don't have a house."

"No, but you have a tent. I'd like to see it. I want to apologize, anyways."

"You just did." She groaned this time. "You know what I mean. Can I please come over?" Every part of me was screaming to say yes, every instinct in my body was yelling at me, begging me. "I kind of want to be alone right now." I said quietly. I could almost hear her heart fall on the other side. "Oh…" Her tone was almost enough to change my mind. "Sorry. Maybe tomorrow."

"Okay." Was she… was she crying? "I'll talk to you later, I guess." She mumbled. The call ended, and I shut the phone, dropping it into the sand as I brought my hand up to cover my eyes. I'm an idiot.

* * *

POV: Anna

I pushed him too far. I knew what his life had been, how hard it was for him growing up, infinitely more difficult than he'd ever let on in his brief lapses when he'd talk about it. In only two days of talking to him, I felt more strongly for him than any boy I'd ever met or been with. I didn't love him, that much was clear, but I felt something. Maybe it was the imprint, but it was a strong feeling. When he'd said no, it had felt like rejection in the purest form of the word. His voice disturbed me. It was hollow, devoid of emotion. It worried me. Jake had told me that his memory had been intense. He'd described it like going back in time. He wouldn't tell me about the memory itself, what it had been about, he'd said it was too much for him to tell me and that I'd have to ask Cameron. A lot of good that did me. I hadn't realized I'd been crying until a tear fell onto the screen of my phone. I wiped it away, then wiped my eyes and stood, pocketing my phone and moving back upstairs to my room.

I sat down in front of my easel and picked up my brush, dipping it in a bucket with some water as I looked at the fresh canvas. I moved the one from before over to my bed, the picture was something I was making for Bella. It would be a gift for her birthday. I spent the rest of the day working on it, stopping only to use the bathroom and to help make dinner for Charlie, then I returned to it. By the time I was done, midnight had come and gone before I knew it. I examined the picture of the snow white wolf closely, seeking out any imperfections. There were none. It looked just like the real thing. I set my things down and cleared off my bed, turning the painting toward it so that when I lay down, it was level with me, staring into my eyes in a way that made me feel safe. I fell asleep quickly.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of rain panging against the roof and yawned, stretching. I sat up and looked again at the picture, smiling at the now dried paint. I'd have to find a place to hang it at some point. For now, I had breakfast to make and a cousin to check on. I made it down stairs just in time to see the happy couple reading a newspaper. I didn't bother reading the heading, but from the look on their faces it was something supernatural. "Hello, Anna." Edward greeted me with a polite smile. I nodded, opening the fridge and grabbing the eggs. "Hi." I said plainly. I couldn't help but think about the last conversation I'd had with Cameron. Hopefully he's feeling better today. I turned on the stove and turned around to see the two of them standing. "I'll be back later." Bella said dismissively, clearly in a hurry. "Bye."

I finished making my food and ate it slowly, reading the newspaper they'd left with a frown. The problems in Seattle were getting worse, apparently. Part of me wondered how it was connected to vampires, but the other part of me wondered what I was going to say to Cameron. My phone buzzed, catching me off guard. I removed it from my pocket and read the text message.

_Hi._

_-C_

I smiled, the message pleased me more than it should have.

_hi. r u feeling better today?_

_-A_

_I guess. Still a little shook up. What about you? You sounded upset when you hung up._

_-C_

_just worried. im glad ur ok. when can i see u again?_

_-A_

"Is now okay?" his voice startled me, but when he poked his head in through the back door, my relief was strong. Having him leave as abruptly as he did left a part of me feeling strange… like something was missing. He seemed to be returned to normal, though. The mask was there, but he himself seemed okay. "Now's perfect." I answered. "I'm really sorry," I began, but he cut me off with a raised hand, his eyes closing while he walked into the house, shutting the door behind him. I shut my mouth and waited for him to talk. "You don't have anything to be sorry about. You were right. I can't hide from them forever."

"I don't understand…"

"I want you to help me." He said, sending my heart leaping into my throat. "But I thought… why?"

"Because I'm sick of it. I'm sick of the dreams, of the memories, of everything. I want to be normal. I want to be able to live without being afraid of memories. I'm willing to go through it over and over if it means it'll go away, but…"

"But?"

"But not yet. Give me a couple weeks. Just two weeks to get used to everything that's happening already with this whole wolf thing and then I'll do whatever you want me to. I promise."

"Are you sure?"

"Very. If you don't mind. It won't be pleasant for either of us."

"Of course not. I'm glad to help." I replied, smiling. His answering smile was blinding, and what was more, it was genuine. I could see the mask break and fall away. It was like a transformation. "So… what do you want to do?" I asked, leaning against the table as he shifted his weight. "I didn't think that far ahead, actually." He admitted with a laugh.

"How about we go for a walk?" I suggested. He nodded eagerly. "Sounds good."


	14. Chapter 14 - Friends

**Authors Note: Chapter fourteen comin' at 'ya! This one is focused on Cam and Anna. The next one will be as well, to an extent. We're getting close to some plot stuff in the actual Twilight though, so expect some fun twists there. I'm trying to keep it as close as possible to the actual story, though I'm considering altering it drastically in some ways. If I do it will completely break the actual plot of Twilight and focus on my own made up one. Let me know what you think. **

**Disclaimer: I'm done doing disclaimers. Thought you should know. **

* * *

POV: Cameron

"Walk where, though?" I asked her, watching as she moved to grab a pink sweater. "I dunno. Just walk. Through the forest?" I shook my head. "All I do is walk through the forest lately. Or run, whichever. I had my first patrol last night… which was interesting, to say the least." We walked out through the front door and started off down the street with no particular destination in mind. "Interesting? Why's that?"

"Well for one everybody got to see my little… flashback… thing as I experienced it. So that was one layer of awkwardness, for two none of them know me well enough, so having them know that much about me is… weird. And three, I was not in the mood to run a perimeter. I had actually intended to come over last night to apologize, but Sam asked me to put it off until today." I explained, putting my hands in the front pockets of my sweater. "You were going to apologize? For what? I'm the one that pushed you too hard."

"Yeah, but you were trying to help. I was rude, and you sounded upset when you hung up." She nodded, confirming my suspicion. "So I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run off. I just panicked. I felt it coming and just… freaked out. I would have phased anyways, it happened on its own. I didn't want to be around you when it happened."

"Well that's stupid, I've seen you as a wolf, remember? It wouldn't have bothered me. I was more bothered with you being so upset." I shook my head slowly. "It wasn't you seeing me as a wolf. I don't care about that, it's natural being around you that way. Almost more so than when I'm human. I didn't want to phase in front of you because I wasn't sure if I would hurt you or not. I couldn't live with myself if I did anything to hurt you like that." A shiver ran up my spine at the thought of it. "Ah…" she spoke, her voice cracked, distorting the word. "Why do you think that is?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled. "Why do you think you're more comfortable around me when you're a wolf?" I frowned, mulling it over in my head for a minute before I replied. "I don't know. My instincts are stronger when I'm like that. I also can't talk, which makes it easier to not answer questions." I joked, earning a short laugh from her. "Truth be told, I have no idea. Maybe it's because I don't try to fight the imprint."

"You try to fight the imprint?" it was her turn to be puzzled, now. "Why?"

"I already told you, Anna. You deserve better than me. My life's too complicated."

"I thought I told you I liked complicated?" she sounded angry. I didn't want her to be angry with me. With a sigh, I moved to walk in front of her, then turned, pacing backward and matching her stride. "Why?" I asked.

"Life is what you make it. You play with the cards you're dealt." She shrugged. "That doesn't answer my question. Why do you like complicated?" I reiterated, maintaining my backward pace, glancing to the side to make sure I wouldn't run into anything every so often. "Everybody's life is complicated. Everybody has problems. You just have more than most. I like complicated because it means you've been dealt a shitty hand, but you're working with it. It means you're not taking the easy way out." I stopped dead at that, but apparently she'd been expecting it, because she stopped, too. "It would be too easy for you to just end all of this." She waved in my direction. "But you don't. You stay strong and tough it out no matter how bad it gets. When I see somebody who's complicated, I also see the strength they have because of it, and I don't mean physical. Obviously you're strong physically, but to be strong mentally and emotionally, after everything you've been through? _That _is supernatural. That's a thousand times more interesting and useful than turning into a wolf."

I was stunned. I hadn't expected any of it, so when she walked forward and wrapped her arms around me, I didn't even notice at first. "That's why I like complicated. It's a part of you." She finished, her head resting against my chest as I struggled to understand what she meant by all of it. One thing was certain; she was good for me. She could help, I was certain of it. The fact that I can handle her being this close without running proves that, and the way my arms wrapped around her without any conscious effort on my part only reaffirmed it. I rested my face against the top of her head, holding back the tears that threatened to spill over as I did. "I'm still not good for you. What if I can't do it? What if I'm like this forever?" I spoke, the fears I'd had subconsciously for the longest time finally drifting to the surface. "You won't be. I will help you, Cam. If I can wake up every day and remember my mom without breaking down, so can you. It may take a long time… but I promise you it will work."

I stayed quiet for a moment until she released me and stepped away, looking up at me with a smile on her face. And in that moment, I felt myself give in to it, let it happen and let myself get lost in her eyes for the first time. I let the imprint take over; guide me toward the happiness that she thought I deserved. If she's willing to stick with me, the least I can do is stick with her. "I believe you."

"Good, because I'm right." She said matter of factly, strolling past me. "I'm always right. You'll learn that." She called back, leaving me smiling as I followed her. "I'm looking forward to it." I fell back into place beside her as we continued to walk. "Where are we going?" She asked after a few minutes of silence. I just shrugged, watching her. "I dunno, you're the one that started walking. Where _are _we going?"

"We could go to La Push." She suggested, but I shook my head. "That's like an hour from here."

"Well how do you usually get here?" She asked, earning a look that said 'really?'

"I run. Obviously."

"Oh, shut it. I'm not used to my friend the werewolf, yet. Sounds like a bad movie title…" her eyes narrowed while I laughed quietly beside her. "Well unless you want me to carry you." I shrugged. "It'd cut the journey in half, at least."

"Yeah, very funny." She grumbled. I heard something else about stupid wolf, but it wasn't loud enough to be coherent. "Do you have a car?" I asked, returning my gaze to the road. "Nope. I have a license, but no car yet. I'm still trying to find a job." She groaned. "I know how that feels." I nodded. "I don't get paid for the wolf thing until next month, unfortunately. It's supposed to be a decent amount, but I'd like a second job just in case." If I'm running patrol on nights, then I'll have to find a dayjob. Thankfully finals were just a few days away, so highschool wouldn't be a problem anymore. It'd be nice to have that diploma under my belt. "They actually pay you for going on patrol and stuff? That's pretty cool." She appraised.

"Yeah, well it isn't all just patrolling." I shrugged. "What do you mean? What else do you guys do?"

"Well if there's a vampire that comes too close to our territory or Forks, we have to take them out, except the Cullen's, obviously." She frowned, clearly unhappy with what I'd just told her. "So it's pretty dangerous, then…" I shrugged. "I havn't fought or even seen a vampire at all, so I can't say but from what Jake's told me, we're as fast as they are or faster in some cases. One on one could be problematic sometimes depending on how strong the wolf is, but as a pack we're unstoppable. I wouldn't stand a chance in a one on one with one for a while, but if I have Jake there's practically no risk." She seemed to relax at that. "Still doesn't sound like something you should be doing."

"I don't have a choice, and I really don't want one. If I can use this to stop them, keep them from killing people? I'll put my life on the line any day of the week."

"As long as there's no risk, I guess." She decided after a while. "I still don't like it."

"Don't worry about it. Sam, Jake and the others will keep me alive until I'm strong enough to do it myself."

"Still gonna worry about it." She said stubbornly, pouting her lips out as we walked.

We walked for another ten or so minutes before she spoke again. "Hey, do you know anything about the attacks in Seattle?" she asked, looking up at me. "No. Should I?"

"Well I don't know. Bella and Edward were looking at the paper all worried and stuff earlier, I was just wondering if it meant anything." My eyes narrowed at the mention of the resident vampire, but otherwise I just shook my head. "Nope. I can ask Sam about it if you want?" She shook her head. "No, it's okay. I'm sure it's nothing."

"Okay."

* * *

By the time we'd reached La Push, she was tired of walking and actively complaining about her legs burning. "How are you not tired?" she demanded, exasperated. "I told you I could have carried you here in half the time. I don't get exhausted anymore, unless I'm running really fast for a really long time." I replied, receiving an obnoxious groan from her that set us both to laughing. "So unfair."

"Sorry." I smiled at her, receiving a glare in return. We made for the beach, and came to a stop almost an hour and a half after we originally set out, settling down on my usual log. "My feet are frickin' killing me." She complained, rubbing the soles of said feed soothingly. "Crybaby." I smirked at her. She slapped my shoulder before burying her feet in the sand. "If you weren't some super wolf boy you'd be crying too." She sighed. "Hey, I take offence to that extremely outlandish comment and I demand that you take it back." She rolled her eyes and stood, stretching as she rose. "Whatever, dude." She laughed, looking around the beach, making sure we were alone before she asked what I assumed she'd been waiting to for a while now. "Sooo… can I see where you stay?" she asked.

One look into her excited eyes told me I'd never be able to say no to this girl again as I nodded and lead her toward the clearing, through the trees just behind the log. We rounded the large rock and my tent came into view with the rest of the clearing. The grass was stamped down, and several things were spread about the place. I'd lined the edge of the place with several rocks. In the center was a hole I'd dug filled with the charred remainders of wood, also lined with different sized and colored rocks. The tent was positioned a safe distance away from the fire-pit, and all the dead leaves had been shifted out of the place, leaving it looking like a camp sight nobody had used in years, though it was clearly inhabited.

"How'd you find this place?" she asked, walking around the clearing. I leaned against the rock, crossing my arms as I watched her peruse the place. "I was just walking on the beach, wondering what I'd do for shelter when I noticed this rock." I patted the stone behind me. "I decided to check it out, found this and figured it'd be as good as any. The trees are pretty wide up top, so the leaves cover the sky and keep me out of the rain… kind of. The tent does the rest." She was inspecting the tent now, looking inside at the makeshift bed I'd made out of two pillows and now a blanket since I didn't need it anymore.

"Doesn't look very comfortable." She remarked, turning to look at me. I opened my mouth to reply, but she beat me to it. "Yeah, it's better than nothing. You said that already." She smirked at me. I rolled my eyes as she zipped the tent back up and moved to my side. "And you've lived this way for two months now?"

I nodded. She frowned, leaning against the rock beside me. "So what do you need to get your own place?" she asked. I pursed my lips, contemplating her question. "Honestly? I'm not sure. I know there's a downpayment involved, but that's pretty much the extent of it. I'll have to do some research before I go any further. "I can help with that." She suggested, looking up to read my reaction. "If you can, I'd appreciate it." She nodded. "So what else do you do?" she asked curiously. "Laze around, watch the tide and hang out with Jacob, and now you I guess." I smiled at her. She returned it, then started back toward the beach. I followed quietly all the way to the edge of the sand, where we stood and watched. "There are definitely worse things to do." She decided, resting her head against my shoulder. I tensed at first, then relaxed. "Does this really bother you that much?"

"No. Not as much as it usually would." I brought my right leg up to my chest, resting my arm on my knee. "Honestly it's kind of nice. There's definitely something to be said for this whole imprint thing. The companionship is nice."

"Mm." She agreed quietly. I looked down to find her eyes closed. "You're abnormally hot, you know that?"

"Yep. Wolf thing." She nodded.

"I'm liking the wolf thing more and more." She chuckled.

"So am I."

"Can we do this more often? The only person to talk to is Bella and Charlie, and neither of them are exactly talkative. The only thing Bella ever talks about is Edward. Edward this, Edward that, can you believe Edward did this? He's so ridiculous sometimes blah blah blah. Not you. You're not talkative, but whatever you do talk about is interesting, and being around you makes me happy." She was half asleep at this point, rambling on about everything and nothing.

"Being around you makes me happy, too." I replied, but she was already asleep.

"Far more than is reasonable. Two days and I already feel like this… imprinting is a hell of a thing."


	15. Chapter 15 - Introductions

**Authors Note: Sorry this one came out late. My internet went down last night, and the part that I'd written was saved in Google Docs, so I wasn't able to access it and finish it. Then I woke up and procrastinated for six hours. Here it is anyways! **

* * *

She'd been more tired than she let on. It had been over four hours since she'd fallen asleep, making it six. For a while I just sat, leaned against my knee as she continued to rest her head against my shoulder, but I eventually lay back on the sand, and she adjusted with me, her head lying on my chest while I tried not to fall asleep. She was stirring now, her breathing changing in rhythm as she took a deep breath, stretching out then relaxing. She was awake for a full five minutes before she realized where she had been sleeping. "Well this is awkward." She grumbled, still not moving. "Yep. I don't mind, though." She sighed then sat up, running her fingers through her hair as she looked down at me, unmoving, eyes watching her. "You're like a heater." She laughed, removing her sweater and shaking the sand off it. "Great, now I'm all dirty. Why'd you let me sleep for so long? The sun's starting to set." She frowned.

"I dunno. I didn't want to wake you up, you looked like you hadn't slept very well."

"So much for spending the day hanging out with you. I slept the day away. I'll be up all night at this rate." She groaned. "We should probably start heading back." I suggested, sitting up and brushing the sand from my back. We both stood and started walking back toward the road and toward her home.

* * *

By the time we returned, night had fallen and I was guiding her though the trees around the back of her house. Bella apparently didn't know about the imprint, and Charlie didn't know about me in general, so it was best if she show up alone. "Thanks for walking me home. And letting me sleep on you for like five hours." She laughed, turning to face me as we broke through the trees into the back yard of the house. "No problem?" I smiled. "Well I had fun when I was awake, at least. We should do it again… earlier in the day, though. I'm not looking forward to explaining this to Charlie."

"Just tell him you were at the beach, he can't really object that much, can he?"

"No, he won't. I'll talk to you later, Cam."

"I'd ask you to quit calling me that but I know you wont."

"Nope. Bye!" she waved, disappearing into her house.

I walked back into the cover of the trees and tied my clothes to my ankle before phasing, noting how much faster I could do it. I'd come a long way in the short amount of time I'd been a wolf. I was greeted by a Embry, Quil and Seth as I ran back toward La Push. _I'm surprised you actually made it. _Embry joked, showing me that he'd seen us on the beach. _I wouldn't have._

_Yeah, apparently I'm the responsible one. _I replied, not really caring that he'd seen us. I was letting this imprint thing happen, after all. They'd know about it anyways whether I liked it or not, because let's face it; she was all I thought about half the time. _At least you're honest with yourself. Hurry back, I need you to pick up the blank spots in the perimeter. _I nodded, following his order as I pushed myself harder, feeling my nails dig into the loam as I sped through the trees faster than I'd ever run before. _Great, we've got another one. _Quil joked, his tone mirthful.

_Another what? _I asked, letting my senses take over in case there was anything near me. _Another fast one. Leah and Jake are the fastest, and we're not sure which one of them is faster. You look like you could give both of them a run for their money, and you're barely four days old._

_Is that a bad thing..? _I wondered, frowning at the knowledge. _No, it's great. It means you're taking after Jake. He's the strongest of us after Sam, so you'll be right there with him. I guess it's the alpha blood in you. _Embry replied. _I guess. I still don't know how I feel about that whole alpha thing._

_Hey, it sounds cool to me. Gives you an edge. We need all the edge we can get._ Seth figured, his tone dismissive like that was all that needed to be said. I suppose I had to agree, though. I picked up my slack in the perimeter, slowing down and letting my lungs breath normally as they burned with the exertion. I really do like this wolf thing. Which reminds me…

_So Embry, _I started, catching his attention. _Why do you guys see this as a curse? Being this strong and fast… I don't get how it's a bad thing._

_Yeah, I guess you wouldn't. _He mentally shrugged. _You need to keep in mind the fact that you have incredible control over this whole thing. Even Seth doesn't have a lid on it like you do, and that's saying something. He's nothing but happy all the time, almost annoyingly so._

_Hey… _Seth called out, not really offended.

_You don't have the anger problems that comes with this. The constant worry that somebody's going to say something that makes you flip and expose yourself to your friends and family. When Jake phased for the first time it was because his dad had told him he looked odd that day. That was enough to flip him before he kind of centered himself. For paul it's incredibly hard, the slightest insult makes him go nuts and try to start an all out brawl. I'm not that severe, but it's still a worry to all of us. You saw what happened to Sam and Emily. _He pictured Emily's scarred face, a face I'm sure was once very beautiful. It still is, though very hidden. _She was. She was everything to Sam, still is. After he did it, he felt horrible. He went to her and told her that if she wanted him to kill himself, all she would have to do is say so. Imagine flipping out and hurting her that way._

The image itself was enough to send my heart into overdrive as I faltered in my pace, tripping a little before I caught myself. _That is why it's a curse, Cam._

_I see. You're right, that is a terrible thing to go through. I guess I didn't think about how fortunate I'd been for that._

_Yeah, but look what you had to go through to get it. _Seth stated, thinking about my hands, how they'd been burned. _Are you okay, by the way? You were quiet about it last night… I'm sorry if I just offended you, I didn't mean to._

_No, no it's cool. I just… don't like to think about it. I'll tell you guys about it some day… when I'm better. Right now, I'm just not in a position to handle this mentally._

_You're right though, I did have to go through a lot to get this super self control. In a way it's not really worth it… but to keep myself from hurting others, to keep everyone safe? I'd go through it a thousand times over. I would gladly burn if it meant I would keep the capacity to help others with this._

_Which is why you'll make a good wolf. We're glad to have you here, messed up past or not. _Embry replied. The other two gave their mental agreements before we lapsed into silence as I patrolled the area, searching for any foreign scent. The silence was interrupted by Seth. _Hey, Cam?_

_What's up? _I asked, ignoring the nickname. _What's it like? Having an imprint, I mean. It looks like a normal relationship to me, I was just curious. _I thought about it for a minute, looking at it from all sides.

_I can't really say. Anna and I aren't to the relationship part of it. We're just friends, albeit abnormally good friends given how long we've known each other. She understands a lot about me that I don't. The best way I can explain it is blind devotion. Her happiness and sadness alike affects me in ways I don't know how to describe yet. I imagine it's what you would feel for your sister, only made stronger by this whole instinct thing. Then there's the obvious attraction… but I'm not sure about that myself. It's very confusing to say the least. _I replied. He nodded, then returned to the silence. It stayed that way for the rest of the patrol, only interrupted by the brief inquiries or idle chatter. For the most part it was very quiet, but it was nice at the same time. Like being in the same room with siblings and saying nothing. There was no need to, it just felt natural. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that that's exactly what they were becoming to me: Brothers.

* * *

By the end of the patrol, I was more than hungry. I'd eaten nothing besides breakfast, which had consisted of a large bag of chips and some crackers. I was out of food completely. I strolled back into camp and phased back after a brief goodbye to the others, along with the newcomers who had phased to take our place. I lay down on the makeshift bed and tried to fall asleep while my stomach yelled at me, finding only minimal amounts of success.

I woke up the next day and went about my routine, which included bathing, changing clothes, washing the old ones and hanging them to try on a low tree limb and making a stop at a convenience store for a micro waved burrito, a soda and another bag of chips, which I consumed all of on the way to school, the exception being the bag, which I saved for lunch. At two thirty I exited class to be met by a vibrating phone in my pocket.

_school?_

-_A_

_Yep. Just got out. Plans?_

_-Not Cam_

_resuming the job search. u should do the same. nice signature. _

_-A_

_Thanks. :] More than likely will, I don't have anything better to do, and finals are tomorrow and the day after, so school will be one less thing on my schedule. Let me know how your search goes?_

_-Not Cam_

_will do._

_-A_

I pocketed my phone and sprinted through the forest back to the clearing where I deposited my bag and books. I checked the little area I kept my money and thumbed through the bills. In total there's three hundred and fifteen dollars here. I can live off that easily, at least until the end of the month when I'd apparently be compensated for my services on patrol by the elders. Part of me wondered if it would ever be more than just patrolling the boarder, if I'd have to fight and help kill a Vampire. Would I even be able to if it came to it? I pictured myself doing it, then pictured what the outcome of that would be. How many lives would I save by doing such a thing? They're people in a way, but the ones that actually care for human lives have stopped taking them. These refuse to change their ways, and for what? A better taste? I decided then and there that I absolutely could do it, and I would do it.

I pushed the thoughts aside, resuming my contemplation of job searching. If I kept this up, I'd work myself to death. Working all night, then through the morning would leave the rest of my day spent sleeping… and I still wanted to spend a good portion of it with my friends and Anna. The moment I thought of her, it set my heart to thumping harder in my chest. I couldn't do it. I had to rest, and I would get barely any at this rate, and if anything were to go wrong during the day, some kind of emergency while I was at work with the pack? I'd have to leave early, and who knows how often it would happen. I likely wouldn't be able to do the job properly. Jake and Sam had said the money I'd get would be enough to live on. Sam can support himself and Emily and the rest of the guys support their massive appetites as well, so there had to be some truth about it. None of them went hungry beside me and that was because I'd just started with this thing. I can survive for a month on three hundred dollars.

With nothing else to do, I went ahead and phased, being greeted by strangers as opposed to the other three I'd grown to know. _Hey hey, it's the new guy! _I tried to pin the voice to a face, but I'd been unable to. _That's Paul. _Sam answered my thought. _Hey, Cam. _Jake said. I could see him moving about the woods behind Anna's house. _Bella had a visitor a while back, I come by every day to make sure they haven't come back. Or, I come by when you aren't here, at least. _He smirked mentally, crossing my scent on his little patrol. _He's babysitting the leach lover in other words._ A female voice spoke, Leah's I assumed. Jake growled at her, earning a 'd started to head back when Sam asked what I was doing phased. _I don't really have anything to do right now. I've decided to forgo the job search until I know I'll need it, they aren't giving the seniors homework during finals so there's nothing school related I can do, and Anna's busy. So I figured I'd help out here, or something. _

_Hey, that's cool. You should take my spot, I'm starving. _Paul joked, earning a growl from Sam, though it was more playful than serious. _Or mine. I have more important things to do than wander around the woods for no damned reason. There's no parasites out today. Obviously. _Leah interjected. Sam just sighed at her remark, but I laughed. She's rude. I like her.

_Retard. _She spat. I laughed again. _Thanks. You're special, too. I can help, but I'd rather not take any of your spots. I don't want to die on my own run. _

_Don't be a bitch, you're a big strong wolf, you can handle it. _Leah sneered. _You're the fast one, right? _I asked suddenly, relaying what Quil had said about her being the fastest to her, followed only by Jake. _Damn straight. Wanna race? _

_I'd love to. _I challenged.

_Cool it, you guys can mess around after we're done here. Cam, you're out into Forks every day, right? Why don't you move out deeper into the woods around the town, see if you come across any scents you don't recognize. If you're going to be out there every day, I'd like to have it as safe as possible for you. Just don't go close to this place. _He showed me a massive white house with a huge amount of property. The scent that accompanied it made me want to vomit.

_Stay away from the haunted mansion, got it. _


	16. Chapter 16 - First steps

**Authors Note: I thought I had finished this last night, but I apparently didn't. Sorry. Chapter sixteen, not bad huh? This one's a big one in some ways. You'll see why. Chapter sixteen comin' at 'ya!**

* * *

Time passes slowly as I moved throughout the forest. I'd come across a couple strange scents, but after relaying them to the pack, Sam assured me that it was fine, and that they belonged to the other members of the coven, which was a new word for my vocabulary. I loped through the trees slowly, preserving my energy when my phone buzzed. I was pretty close to her house anyways so I figured I'd just go reply to her personally… kind of. She was walking up the path to her house when I poked my head out, watching her from the side, my body concealed by the house. I yipped at her, catching her attention. _Be right back, guys. _I said, moving behind the house and phasing. I had my pants yanked on just in time for her to round the corner. I watched her eyes bulge slightly, surprised to find me human, I expected. And shirtless. "Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked. I could tell she was exhausted. "I volunteered for another patrol." I explained, tapping my pocket where my phone was secured. "I got your text and figured I'd come answer it in person. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I just can't talk long, I've had a long day." She explained. I nodded, looking up at the sky to find the sun just about to set. Sam had decided to extend the patrol to give the others some time to rest, though he'd let slip that he was hoping to get to know me better in his thoughts. I pretended not to notice. "So do I have to read the text, or will you just tell me." She'd been spacing out when I prompted her, so she jolted to a start when she nodded. "I was just letting you know that it had gone well. I had two interviews at some nice places. They offer a good amount of pay, so I figured why not. They both went really well, I'm pretty sure at least one of them will accept me." She explained, stifling a yawn once she was finished. "Congrats." I smiled, provoking a smile of her own, though it was a tired one. "What about you? Any luck?"

"Well I kind of made a decision about that." I explained to her my thoughts.

"Sounds like a great idea to me. You'll definitely have a lot more free time." She nodded. "How do you think-" she was cut off when I whipped my head around, looking straight at the back of the house. "Shit, I gotta go." She frowned, not expecting the conversation to be cut off short. "I'm sorry. Your cousin's here." I explained. She furrowed her eyebrows. "What's wrong with Bella?"

"Nothing at all. I really like Bella. It's the company she keeps that I'm not so fond of." I explained. The soft purr of a car sounded in the driveway, and I gestured toward it. "Oh." She said, her tone irritated.

"Sorry. Can I come by tomorrow after school?"

"Yeah, that'd be great. We can go grab coffee or something." I nodded. "Sounds good. Bye, Anna." I strode past her, past the side of the house and turned to look into the driveway. I caught his eyes, the strange golden color captivating me for a moment as he returned my gaze. Pale skin, bronze colored hair, yellow gold eyes… the sight of him was eerie. I saw Bella put her hand on his shoulder, no doubt trying to keep him from doing something, but I could see that he wouldn't. He was curious, just as I was. I was unfamiliar. And he was a mind reader. Shit. _Just passing through, talking to Anna before she went to bed. _I directed my thoughts toward him. He nodded, and I turned away, moving into the cover of the trees as my form began to tremble. I tied my pants to my leg, made sure my phone was held safely then let the fire spread through my limbs as I rejoined the others. I bolted from the spot instantly, pushing myself just as hard as before to get away from him. That was a vampire I'd have no chance against in a fight. Not only was I new, but he could read my mind. It was a loss before it even started. Thankfully he was apparently friendly. I still don't like him. _Oh, you had a run in with the count, huh? _Jake said, the tension in his thoughts were apparent. Jake clearly had much harsher feelings for him than I did. _Yeah. He's creepy as hell. I'm not sure what's weirder, the yellow eyes or the red. _I compared the two. The yellow seemed piercing somehow. Human to a certain extent, at least more so than the red would be, but still creepy. _They're both disgusting. Humane or not. _Leah spat. I could tell she was making her way toward me. _You're definitely fast. I bet I'm faster, though. _

We met a mile outside the boarder of La Push. Her grey form was lithe, strong but not like the rest were. She was clearly built for speed. I wondered idly how I looked comparatively, and took the opportunity to observe myself through her eyes. I was bulkier, but there was a definite tone to my body that she didn't have. _Good god, you're more of a girl than I am. Quit staring at yourself, I'm not a mirror. Iet's get this show on the road. _I nodded, hiding a smirk as she moved to level herself with me. _First to that shitty little clearing of yours wins. Go! _I let the remark about my area pass as I rocketed off, passing her up instantly with the strength of my acceleration. I took it easy at first, judging her speed, but when she flew past me I really kicked it into gear, pushing air through my lungs evenly as my nails dug deep into the dirt, speeding up exponentially at the same time she did. We were pretty even for a while, but somehow she kicked it up another notch and beat me by a wide margin, skidding to a stop just before she slammed into my tent. I slowed down, coming to a trot as she did a little woop. _Still the best, eat it loser. _

_That was insane. How the hell? _

_I'm the best, face it. _

_Yeah, right. We'll see. Give it time, I'm not done yet. Rematch when this stupid growth spurt business is over? _

_You're on. I'll kick your ass as many times as you want. _

_Alright, idiots we're done for the day. Cam you have another patrol to run. The rest of you go home. _Sam interjected, his voice colored with amusement. The rest of them broke for their house as Sam tossed his head back, sparking a howl that the rest of us echoed, alerting the others to join up. Leah was the first to leave, she nodded to Seth as the two of them swapped places, and Jared swapped with Jake. Quil was off tonight, so Embry phased instead of him. Sam gave us our little orders, same as before, and he left too, his thoughts on Emily.

* * *

By the time I was finished with patrol, I was dragging my feet… paws… whatever. The others were exhausted too, but after a full shift and a half, I was ready to drop. All the running I'd done definitely didn't help. I still couldn't believe how fast Leah could run, it was unreal. Jared had been nice, and I found that I liked him quite a lot as well. I liked all of them, really. Paul was the least familiar to me, but he seemed nice enough when he was in control of himself. As I cleared the trees that lead to my camp, the other three bid me goodnight as I changed back. I pulled on my boxers and fell down onto my makeshift mattress, out cold before my head hit the pillow.

When I awoke, it was to the sound of my phone ringing, alerting me to a text message. I yanked it out of the jeans pocket I'd discarded and read the one she'd sent yesterday, then the newest one.

_im home now. i think i got one of the jobs, the interviews both went rly well. hope u can come over 2morrow, im super tired right now so id probly fall asleep on u again tho maybe not literally this time. night cam. _

_-A_

_morning. the house is empty of sisters, uncles and vampires for the day when u come over. i wanna here ur side of the story anyways. Bella said Edward saw u last night. see u soon? _

_-A_

I typed out a quick reply before going to wash up, grabbing my clean clothes and heading toward the little pond.

_I did see him last night, I'll tell you about it when I get there at 1, school gets out early and I don't have to bring my backpack with me, so I can just run straight over. _

_-Cam_

By the time I returned, she'd replied.

_i knew the name would grow on u. _

_-A_

_I still hate you._

_-Cam_

* * *

School went by as expected. My finals were tough to an extent, but for somebody who had spent all his time doing nothing but reading the material, it was a breeze. I finished every test before any of the other students, so most of my time was spent texting Anna discreetly. I'd gotten a hang of the process by now, so I could read her message then type up a reply with my hands hidden in my sweater pocket. When I finished the last test before everybody else again, the teacher brought it back to me to tell me that she was impressed with my abilities. She had re-checked everything apparently and I'd done very well so I was excused early. I thanked her and jogged out of the class and straight for the trees, where I phased as soon as I could and started running. I greeted the morning patrol which consisted of Leah, Sam, Jake and Jared again, let Sam know where I was going which earned me a sarcastic response from Leah. She'd said something along the lines of _You have an excuse to act like a girl, but Jake's just being pathetic. _Jake and I told her simultaneously to piss off, though I was a lot more entertained than he was about the remark. I phased in the forest after a muttered goodbye to the pack, donned my clothes and set off for the back door as I usually did.

When I knocked and entered, I found her laying on the couch, looking over the back. "Hey, I thought you said you'd be here at one? It's like," she checked her phone. "Twelve. Damn." I leaned over the back of the couch to look at her as she collapsed back. "Problem?" I asked.

"I forgot to make lunch. I got caught up in this." She held up a book before dropping it beside the couch while she stood. "Why are you out early?"

"I'm incredibly smart and finished all my tests early so the teachers, realizing my genius, decided to let me go early." She rolled her eyes which set me to smiling as she paced into the kitchen. "I'm just gonna make a sandwich, do you want one? Or three, however many you eat." Her eyes narrowed. "Two's fine. I can make them." I offered, but she shook her head. She had them made up quickly and handed me a plate while we sat down at the table. "So tell me what happened with Edward? Bella's suspicious, I think Ed told her something about you and me." My heart fluttered at the last part of her sentence, but I ignored it to answer. "I don't know. I just kinda met his eyes and we stared at each other for a minute. I told him why I was here, then left. Nothing really beyond that. We didn't talk."

"You didn't talk? Then how did you tell him- right, mind reading… thing. Super weird. You can't do anything like that, can you?" She asked, taking a bite from her food.

"No. I'm just a regular freak, not a super freak." I waved my hand dismissively, earning a laugh from her. "So what did she say about us?" I asked.

"Just wanted to know why you were here talking to me all of a sudden. Edward apparently told her that you've been here a few times and she wanted to know why. She's smart, though… too smart. Too perceptive. I think she suspects, but she doesn't want to ask, you know?"

I nodded, finishing off my first sandwich. "Why's that a problem?"

"Well I wasn't sure if you wanted her to know or not. I just didn't want to tell her something you didn't want getting out."

"Everybody in the pack knows anyways, I don't really see why she shouldn't. Besides, I have no reason to hide it. I'm not ashamed of it, it's just new to me." I shrugged. Apparently I'd said something right, because she was practically beaming at me. "Good. I'll tell her, then. Now, why did you have to go all of a sudden? I don't think Edward would care about you being here. I know he hates you guys, but I don't think he would care if you're here what with you being mega calm or whatever."

"I'm not overly fond of what he is." I explained. "He repulses me in a way I can't explain. It's instinct, sure, but something about the fact that he lives off the death of others irks me." I said sarcastically. Her smile was gone, now. "You say that like he's a murderer."

"Well he is. He kills things. I'm sure he's killed humans before. Probably countless, who knows how old he is."

"That's not the point. He's not like the rest of them. He only kills animals, which the rest of us do, too. You're eating ham, for god's sake"

"I'll give you that. He's certainly more humane than the rest of them. His eyes are proof enough of that, but that doesn't change the fact what he is."

"Obviously not, but you've never even met him. He's obscenely nice, genuinely kind and selfless. He's offered to buy Bella a new car I don't know how many times, and he's paying her tuition to go to Dartmouth. _Dartmouth! _I don't think it's fair to call him a murderer when he fights his nature constantly to keep from being just that. He's got more kindness in his heart than any human I've ever met, and he loves my sister. I won't listen to you talk bad about him."

I held my hands up in surrender, sitting back in my chair. "Okay, okay. I get it. He's a nice Vampire. I still don't like him, though."

"For absolutely no reason other than your ridiculous built in prejudice."

"True enough. I can't help that, though."

"You could if you tried to get to know him."

"It'll never happen. He smells repulsive to me, Sam would never allow it and the fact that he can read my mind is a little irksome."

"Everybody in your pack can read your mind, what makes it different when he does it?"

"I don't know him."

"You barely know them."

"They're different."

"How?" she demanded. "They just are. Everything about them is different. I don't see them as strangers, I see them as brothers. And sister, even though she's a bitch."

"Which is nice and all, but you could very easily get along with Edward. You're a lot alike in several ways."

"Except for the fact that I turn into a gigantic dog and he doesn't age."

"Neither do you." I'd forgotten about that. Something about my body changing so drastically and often seemed to make that impossible to me. If anything, it felt like I was aging in fast forward.

"I don't understand what you want from me here, Anna."

"I want you to not just hate him by default. Don't dismiss him because of what he is, it isn't right. I haven't done it to you."

"Fair enough. I still don't understand that part, but whatever. I won't hate him until I have reason to hate him."

"I guess that's all I can ask." She sighed, standing to bring our plates to the sink.

"Yup. Cause I don't wanna meet him, and you can't bully me into that one."

"Whatever." She sighed, though the anger had clearly passed. She was smiling again, which had me smiling as well. "So do you wanna go for a walk again or something?"

"I walked all day yesterday. I'm still pretty tired to be honest with you."

"I can see that, there's rings under your eyes." She frowned. "You should go home and-"

"Not a chance." I cut her off, standing. "If I went back all I'd end up doing is phasing again and helping out with the current patrol just like I did last night. As far as I know, I don't get payed overtime so screw that. How about we just stay here?"

"What if Edward and Bella come home early?"

"Then I guess I'll have to meet the parasite."

Her eyes narrowed, but I was already laughing before she could reprimand me for it. "I'm kidding. If that's the case I'll just have to meet him, it's not a big deal. I trust you, so if you trust him than I'll give him a chance. We can tell Bella about the imprint in that case, too."

"You're being awfully reasonable."

"I owe you that much." I shrugged.

"For what?" she asked curiously, her eyes widening. "You didn't dismiss me as some freaky wolf when you met me, and you were more than reasonable about the imprint thing and you're even willing to help me through whatever's wrong with my brain." She rolled her eyes at this. "I owe you big time. Besides, it'll mean getting to spend more time with you." I said. Her eyes widened at this. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I like you." I said, looking her in the eyes. "And not just because of the imprint."

"You like me? Like…"

"I swear to god if you said 'like, like like me?' I'm going to shoot myself."

"Answer the question."

"Yes, I like like you." I admitted. I expected her to be indifferent, or maybe a little nervous about it.

I certainly didn't expect her to blush, then smile like Christmas had come early. I just jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.

And this time, I didn't mind the burn that came with it.


	17. Chapter 17 - Expression

**Authors Note: We're back! Before we begin, I'd like to apologize for the absence of another chapter yesterday. Unfortunately, I found that while I was writing the last two, I was in such a hurry to get them done and uploaded that it was effecting the quality in ways, and I had to spend more time than necessary to fix the issues that shouldn't have been there in the first place, so I decided to take a break for a day and then update tomorrow. Or today, whatever. So that's my piece, sorry again. I hope this chapter makes up for it. Without further ado, Chapter seventeen comin' at 'ya!**

* * *

"When did you decide this?" she asks, the smile still faint on her lips. "When you told me why you liked complicated." I replied easily. "So you decided you liked me then?" she asked, trying to clarify. I shook my head. "No, I decided to stop fighting the imprint and my feelings. If you're the key to happiness for me, then I don't see why I should keep myself from it. If you're convinced that you don't mind working with me as friends, then doing the same thing as more would probably be no different, assuming you even want more, that is." She rolled her eyes as if this should be obvious to me. "Cam, when you're gone, a part of me feels missing. I don't know why. Then, when you come through that door, it's like fitting the final piece into the jigsaw puzzle. It seems too fast, but it doesn't _feel _that way, you know? It feels like we've known each other all our lives and are suddenly finding this out." I nodded at her, watching her chew on her lower lip. "I just hope it isn't too soon for you."

"Why on earth would you think that? Every instinct in my body pushes me toward you, there's no way this is too soon for me, at least."

"For wolf you, no. For _you _you, maybe."

"I already told you it isn't only the wolf. It's a combination of the two. Just like me." She grinned at this.

"The wolf certainly pushed me toward this. If I hadn't imprinted on you, I suspect we would have become very close friends regardless, only on a normal basis instead of an every day one."

"I don't get it, though. How did you get over the stupid you're not good enough for me thing?" She asked, standing with me. She dragged me over to the couch and pushed me down on it before seating herself on the other end, swinging her legs up so she could sit sideways and probably watch my facial expressions. "I didn't. I'm not, Anna. But if you think otherwise, then I'll go along with it. If you truly want anything with me, then I'm taking it. Turning away would only hurt the both of us."

"Yes, it would." She glared at me. "Not just you. Whatever this ends up as, just remember that it isn't just you. If you're so ridiculously insistent on your not being good enough, then remember that this is what I want. What you want is secondary." She had a teasing light to her eyes now. "Oh, secondary huh? Shall I call you mistress next?" she winced at the name as she laughed. "Do you want me to be mistress?" she shot back, earning a gaping mouth before I snapped it shut. "I don't have trouble saying no to this one." I replied, laughing again. "Shame, I bet you'd be a pretty good servant." She joked. Apparently I'd winced, because she was apologizing suddenly. Damn it. "Do you want to talk about it…?" she asked cautiously.

"No. Absolutely not. I'm tired of talking about my feelings for right now, I deserve to maintain at least some masculinity." She giggled at this and I smiled in return. "So… what are we gonna do?"

"What do you usually do? Wait, don't answer that. Paint." She laughed, then nodded. "You're catching on."

"You can do that. I wouldn't mind watching you paint." She shook her head. "It's really boring to watch, really. I go quiet and get all focused." She put a fake focused expression on her face like she was staring intently at me. "Not at all fun. Wanna just watch T.V?" she suggested, grabbing the remote. I shrugged while she turned it on.

* * *

The day went by without much else being discussed. For the most part, we'd sat and watched T.V, talked about whatever drifted across our minds and enjoyed whatever this new closeness was. It was almost tangible in the air, but it changed little about the relationship itself. We acknowledged the extra feelings, we did nothing about them. Night was starting to fall when I caught her attention and told her I'd have to get going for patrol. She walked me out through the back door, and we walked all the way to the tree line before I stopped. "Will I see you tomorrow?" She asked. I recognized that she was hopeful… and so was I. "It's the last day of finals, so… yeah I don't see why not." She smiled. "Good. I had fun today." I nodded at her, smiling.

"So did I." it was my first time actually sitting down to watch T.V, and while it wasn't exactly the greatest thing I'd ever witnessed, it had been interesting enough to keep my attention. The conversations with her definitely helped on that front. "See you tomorrow, then." She leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed a feather light kiss to my cheek, earning a wide-eyed look from me as she smiled and ran back to the house. My thoughts were scattered before I finally pulled myself together, chuckling as I walked into the forest. I phased, greeting the day crew as they were finishing up their rounds.

_Somebody had a good day. _Jake teased. I sprinted off toward La Push, smirking at his comment and the extra spring in my step. _Absolutely. _I replied, playing the last moment back in my head. I did it just to relive it, but more to get a reaction out of them.

_You're an idiot. _Leah laughed. _Who gets all jazzed up over a peck on the cheek? _

_Hey, you're actually making progress, that's good. For a while it looked like one step forward and fifteen back. _Jake commented. _Which reminds me. Bella called earlier, she's coming down. You should check if Anna will come too. _He imagined the two of them stepping out of a shiny silver Volvo, and I cringed at the thought. Car rides with vampires. Fun. _Trust me, I don't like it anymore than you do. At least he isn't dating her. _

_Fair enough._

_Alright, ladies. Jake, you've had way more than enough. Go home. Cam, take his spot. _Sam ordered. I noticed how exhausted Jake was, and frowned mentally. He shouldn't be that tired. _No worries, dude. Thanks for this. _He replied to my thought, thanking me for taking his spot early. He was beat. I met him near his house and waited for him to phase back. "Night, bro." he waved as I nodded and made to complete his rounds.

* * *

I read Anna's message about coming down to La Push tomorrow when I got back to camp and sent back a reply before passing out. The next day, I woke and repeated the process from yesterday. The school as unnaturally empty when I arrived. They were out for the summer, and I just then realized that it was actually summer. La Push never looks like summer time. I completed my finals in a similar fashion to the day before, but was forced to stick behind until everybody else finished. I'd received no texts from Anna, so I assumed she was busy getting ready for the afternoon at La Push. Tomorrow I'd graduate… and that was awesome. The principle had promised to call me when they received my diploma so I wouldn't have to give them a mailing address. I wouldn't be attending the ceremony, there was no point. I had no relatives to watch me cross the stage, so I saw little point in going through with the theatrics. The day ended and I shuffled off into the woods to phase. Jake was all jazzed up when I did.

_Finally. How'd they go? _He asked. _I did fine. Why are you all hyper? _

_Why aren't you? I'm only here because I'm waiting for you to get over here. We're meeting them at the boarder in thirty minutes. I'm driving. _I cringed at the idea of getting into his rabbit, and shook my head.

We came to a stop at the edge of the property line, and I stepped out to lean against the hood. Jake Joined me and we waited in silence as the Volvo pulled up. I looked over at Jake to find him concentrating on something. I cocked an eyebrow, but he shook his head as they stopped and the three of them got out. I immediately started walking forward, meeting her at the car. "Thank you." I said, leveling my eyes with Edwards. He nodded, clearly distracted by something. As Anna and I walked toward the car, I heard Bella mumble something to Edward about listening. "That was…"

"Surprising? He got you here safely, it was the right thing to do. Just because I don't like what he is doesn't mean I can't show courtesy and manners." My mother would have raised me better. My step father expected nothing less.

* * *

We'd decided to walk instead of jamming ourselves into the rabbit, so when Jake and Bella drove past, I waved and he honked, speeding past us. We found ourselves on the beach as usual, sitting at the edge of the water while we talked. Jake and Bella had started off at his house, where they'd stayed for a great deal of time, but eventually had come to the beach and now were close by, but far enough away that even I couldn't hear their conversation. Anna stole glances every once in a while, making me chuckle every time I caught her. She'd talked to Bella about the imprinting once she and Edward had gotten back last night. Edward apparently was indifferent and had advised her to be cautious, but at mention of my super self control, he just seemed surprised. She apologized for letting some of my story slip into her mind, which he immediately picked up on, but said he'd promised not to talk about it. I was impressed; he possessed far more manners than I'd have thought. She punched my shoulder when I said this aloud.

Bella had been excited for her, and the two of them stole up to her room shortly after. She'd apparently told Charlie that she was 'involved' – she'd used air quotes – with one of Jake's friends, and he'd been indifferent about it, told her to use her judgement and went back to his game. He was a man of few words and hated talking about anything to do with feelings, apparently. I could relate. "Once this," she waved at the two of us. "develops into something more, I want you to meet him. He's like a second father to me, he deserves the chance to threaten you with your life if you do anything to hurt me." She smirked. I rolled my eyes. The idea that I would do anything like that was absurd, but I'd do whatever she wanted. I'd meet him, no matter how much I'd rather keep to myself. We'd stood and started walking again, and this time we were close enough to the other two to hear the crack that went with Bella's futile punch, which I just barely caught out the corner of my eye. I sprinted toward them, leaving Anna to watch in surprise as I came to an abrupt stop beside them.

"Are you alright?" Jake asked, clearly in shock. "No, dammit! _You broke my hand!_"

"Bella, _you _broke your hand. Now stop dancing around and let me look at it."

"Don't touch me! I'm going home right now!" she turned to walk away, only to find me standing there. She glared at me like I'd been the one to break her hand, and I just looked at her, appalled. "What the hell happened?" Anna asked, joining us. "I kissed her." Jake replied, smirking. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "You what?" I hissed.

"I kissed her. Don't look like that, you knew I was going to eventually."

"Good god, Jake. You could use a little more tact."

"Can't you hurt him for me?" Bella growled. I shook my head. "Nope."

"He couldn't anyways." I quirked an eyebrow at his statement. "Well you could, but not enough to leave permanent damage." He shrugged.

"I'm going home." Bella said to Anna.

"I'll get my car." Jake replied. "No, thanks," she hissed. "I'd rather walk." She turned toward the road, intending to walk away. I watched them bicker and sighed, looking over at Anna, surprised to see the worried expression on her face. "What?" I asked, confused.

"Edward's gonna be pissed."


	18. Chapter 18 - Arrangements

**Authors Note: We're almost at twenty chapters, holy crap. We're also almost at two thousand story views, and that's huge for me. I'm amazed. I can't thank you guys enough for reading this. It's exciting to think that I can create something that captivates you all. I hope you continue to enjoy it. Without further ado, Chapter eighteen comin' at 'ya!**

* * *

"I don't get it, why now?" I asked Jake, leaning through the open window in the back of the truck he was using to cart us back to Bella's. I'd taken a look at Bella's hand, she didn't mind me looking at it, though she'd asked me a few more times if I would try to kick Jake's ass for her. I just smiled as I flexed her fingers, finding out where it hurt. She'd cracked her knuckle, I'd been injured enough times to know that much. "Your… uh… father in law?" I queried, earning a frustrated look from her that I didn't understand. "Edward's dad. He's a doctor, right? I think Anna told me something like that at some point." She'd nodded. "Have him look at it. I'm far from professional, but I'm almost positive it's cracked. Just keep some ice on it." I'd told her a few minutes ago. Anna and I were now sitting in the back of the truck while he drove, I had my head poked through the back window to ask Jake a question. "What do you mean?" he'd replied, taking a left turn. "I mean why did you decide to do it now of all times? You know how she feels about him, why now?"

"Because she feels that way about me, too." I was quickly ejected from the conversation as they began arguing. I shut the window and sat back, looking at Anna who had her arms crossed, shivering. With a sigh, I pulled her into my side, closer than I'd ever let anybody be willingly. She looked startled, but the look faded quickly as my body heat started to warm her. That's one perk, I guess. By the time we arrived, she'd stopped shivering and seemed reluctant to let go. I felt the same way, surprisingly enough. Jake and Billy had a short conversation, in which Billy said 'good job' to him for kissing Bella, and I frowned after her as she walked into the house with purpose. I could tell what she was going to do, and when I heard her say "He kissed me." I was tempted to run. What could the fury of a vampire be like? I suppose I'll find out. There's no way I'm leaving Anna here alone with whatever could happen, and I won't leave Jake, either. He was here faster than I'd have believed possible in a car, walked straight past me to where Bella was and looked at her hand carefully.

He'd come to the same conclusion I had and walked her to the car while Anna stood behind me, peeking around to watch them go. I stood close by while Jake and Edward talked. I'd stepped forward at mention of breaking Jake's jaw, but he shot me a glance that clearly said 'I hate you and your friend' and then left just as fast as he'd come. I'd make a point to have Jake give her an honest apology once he got over what he'd done. She was mad now, sure. But what he'd said had been true to an extent: she would think about it, and think about him. They were best friends, closer than Jake and I were in a lot of ways, aside from the wolf thing. She had feelings for him, that much was clear. She'd acknowledge them eventually, and that would hurt her. Jake and Charlie talked for a bit while Anna and I walked inside. Charlie had shot me a look, but otherwise didn't say anything when the two of us climbed the stairs to her room. She'd said nothing until she sat down on the edge of her bed, frowning up at me. "She's stubborn enough to not think about him for a while, but when she does…" I nodded. "I know. He's forcing her to make a choice. It's wrong of him, but he's doing it anyways. He feels too strongly, loves her too desperately to do anything else. I'm worried what this will do to him when she picks Edward. I've seen how she looks at Jake and how she looks when she talks about Edward… there's no real contest. I don't know how he'll take it when he finally realizes it… I think he might run away."

She patted the bed beside her and I sat down, watching her expression as she stared at the easel I hadn't noticed was moved. I looked at the painting, surprise making my eyebrows shoot up into my hairline. I was looking at myself. "That's…" she just nodded, letting her head rest against my shoulder. "Wow." I said quietly. Jake appeared in the doorway then, making a show of covering his eyes as he poked his head in. "We gotta get going, you have patrol tonight, remember?" he let his hand fall away as I stood, taking one last look at the painting before I turned to Anna. "See you tomorrow?" I asked. She shook her head not moving from the bed. "The Cullens are having a graduation party, Bella's making me come with her." A shiver went up my spine at the thought of her in the house, but I knew she'd be okay. "Sounds… fun?" She laughed without humor. "Yeah, lots of fun. I hate parties. And crowds."

"I hate to interrupt this, but we really do need to get going. I'll be down stairs." Jake said, exiting the doorway. I listened to his footsteps before he finally disappeared. "He's right." I sighed, earning a shrug from her. "It's alright. Go do your thing, Charlie's probably having a heart attack anyways." I started to laugh before she cut me off when she stood and hugged me like she had before, only now I saw it for what it was. "Thanks for keeping me warm." She said, chuckling as I wrapped my arms around her. "Any time." I heard a rock pang against the window lightly and sighed. I heard Charlie yell a threat at Jake that didn't sound remotely serious. "See you in a couple days." I said while she stepped away, smiling up at me. "Yup."

I left the room reluctantly and walked down stairs, through the open door. I stopped in front of Charlie, who was standing in my way. When had he put his gun belt on? "You hurt her," I shook my head. "I won't. Ever." I said honestly. "Good. Being a cop won't stop me from hurting you."

"I'll remember that, sir."

"Good. You seem like a nice kid. If Jake and Billy trust you, then you must me." He was smiling now.

"Thank you. Nice to meet you." He stepped aside to let me past and I glanced up at Anna's window, finding her smirking down at me from it. I stuck my tongue out at her before Jake and I got into the car, driving back toward La Push. "I'll let you out at the boarder." He informed me while he drove. "You're kind of a dick, you know?"

"Yeah well I had to do something. She has to know she has options."

"Do you really think it will make a difference?"

"Of course. It'll make her think about it. That's all I want, for her to seriously think about what the two of us could be."

"What if she still chooses him?" he went silent at that.

"What if Anna chose one of them?" she asked, watching my expression, which must have been a sight because he nodded. "There's your answer."

* * *

I awoke the next morning to Jake yelling at me, and poked my head out of the tent to shoot him a glare. "What the hell do you want?" I demanded. I was extremely tired, still. So was he, I could see that much. "I want you to wake up. I'm going to Bella's graduation with my dad today, then you and I are gonna go crash a party. "What? No, I'm not helping you ruin Bella's night. Again."

"I'm not actually going to crash the party." I exited the tend to look at him fully, and started at the other two heartbeats I could hear. I looked behind me to see Embry and Quill, equally as tired and irritated looking as me. "I have something to give her. Besides, you know you wanna go see Anna all dressed up." He smirked at me. I hadn't actually thought about it, but the instant he suggested it I knew I'd go. Besides, having him walk into a vampire den all on his own was not something I could allow. The three of them let me have my privacy as I cleaned up and changed and I joined them on the beach afterward. Quil, Embry and I ended up spending the day at Quil's house, where his mother fed the three of us. She'd said something about our eating habbits before leaving us to our business. I ended up watching the two of them play video games for a few hours before it was time to leave. We showed up at Jake's, finding Billy scolding him for his brashness, then strolled away to phase and run to the Cullen house.

When we finally arrived, we changed in the forest and walked up through the large front lawn to the door. The scent of vampire was so strong here it practically hurt my nose. I was instantly set on edge, but Jake seemed to be perfectly comfortable. Quil and Embry seemed even more on edge than I was, especially when Jake rang the doorbell. When no answer came, Embry opened the door and Jacob greeted her like nothing had happened, waving to catch her attention. She'd made a face at the sight of the three of us. Embry and Quil were on either side of him, while I stood just behind, watching her expression. The two of them were immensely more tense than before, Embry looked like he was ready to run, and I understood why; when she opened to door, the scent got _worse. _She waved back, then turned to walk away from us. He moved faster than I'd seen him ever move as a human and caught her shoulder. They shared some quick words, in which he apologized for what he did. They conversed shortly, he showed her the little charm he'd made, then abruptly he caught our gaze. We moved instantly, moving through the crowd, flowing with the rhythm as we practically danced through them before we finally flanked Jake again. "Now explain." He said. The two of them looked confused. Had they not heard him? Weird, I'd had no trouble at all.

"Alice!" Bella's voice was high as relief colored her voice. I followed her gaze to find easily the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, but there was that unnaturalness that kept me from really taking in the sight of her. Besides, she didn't truly catch my eye anyways. She was beautiful in her own right, but it wasn't something I was interested in. I was tempted to look around for what exactly I was interested in when she approached and wrapper her arms around Bellas waist. She muttered something in her ear that the four of us had no trouble hearing. "Er, Jake, I'll see you later…" she mumbled as they started to walk past us. "Hey, not so fast." Jake said, throwing his arm out in front of them so they couldn't get past. Alice looked up at him incredulously. "Excuse me?"

"Tell us what's going on." Jake demanded. I heard him before I saw him, and when I turned to face the man that had suddenly appeared, I was tempted to yank Jacob away from him. If looks could kill, Jacob would have died a thousand times over in that instant. Jake slowly lowered his arm. Smart move. "We have a right to know." He said, quieter this time. The new one stepped between us, his look unchanging as he sized us up. Embry and Quil were struggling to hold themselves together at this point, but I was smarter than that; he wouldn't do anything in front of all these people. I leveled my eyes with his, on edge but still calm as I set a hand on each of their shoulders. They stiffened, then relaxed as Bella spoke, her voice hysterical as she attempted to defuse the situation. Jake and the new one glared at each other, then Alice finally spoke. "It's okay, Jasper. He actually has a point."

Jasper did not relax. "What did you see, Alice?" Bella asked then. So she was the fortune teller? This should be interesting.

"The decision's been made."

"You're going to seattle?" Bella asked, wide eyed.

"No." Bella literally paled as realization dawned on her. "They're coming here." She said. Now, my arms were shaking too. What had them afraid? They were Vampires, and there were a _lot _of them. What did they have to be afraid of?

"Yes." The vampire said.

"To forks,"

"Yes."

"For?"

Alice nodded, as if answering a question nobody had spoken. "One carried your red shirt." Bella was silent, then.

"We can't let them come that far, there aren't enough of us to protect the town." Jasper said suddenly, clearly unhappy about our presence there, still.

"I know," Alice's face was almost depressed, now. Panicked. "But it doesn't matter where we stop them. There still wont be enough of us, and some of them will come here to search."

"No!" Bella's voice was quiet, tortured. "Alice, I have to go, I have to get away from here."

"That wont help, it's not like we're dealing with a tracker. They'll still come looking here first."

"Then I have to go meet them! If they find what they're looking for, maybe they'll go away and not hurt anyone else!"

She was willing to sacrifice her self for whatever this was? Alice protested, but Jake and I spoke at the same time. "Wait." We caught each others eyes, but I let him continue. "_What _is coming?"

"Our kind. Lots of them." Alice answered, her voice icy.

"Why?" I asked this time. Alice turned to me. "For Bella. That's all we know."

"There are too many for you?" I asked, incredulous.

"We have a few advantages, dog. It will be an even fight." Jasper spoke.

"No." Jake spoke, smiling. I caught his train of thought instantly, and smirked along with him. "It won't be even." I finished his sentence as he turned to look at me.

"Excellent!" Alice hissed, excited now.

The three of us grinned at each other now, Bella looked horrified.

"Everything just disappeared, of course. That's inconvenient, but, all things considered, I'll take it."

"We'll have to coordinate." Jake said. "It wont be easy for us. Still, this is our job more than yours."

"I wouldn't go that far, but we need the help. We aren't going to be picky."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait." Bella interrupted. The excitement on both of their features was almost tangible. They looked at her though. "Coordinate?"

"You didn't honestly think you were going to keep us out of this?" Jake asked.

"You _are _staying out of this!"

"Your psychic doesn't think so."

"Alice, tell them no!" she insisted, glaring at the little vampire. "They'll get killed!" The comment caused the other three to start laughing. I rolled my eyes.

"Bella, separately we could all get killed. Together," Alice began

"It'll be no problem." Jake finished.

"How many?" Quil asked, his voice eager now.

Bella protested while Alice answered the question. They talked more, set up a meeting place while I turned to look for Anna. I couldn't find her. Was she not here? Embry and Quil turned to walk away while I trailed after them, slowly as I looked about. No, she definitely wasn't here. Maybe she'd found a way to weasel out of it? "Looking for someone?" I turned at the sound of her voice only to find her looking angry. "I'm assuming you overheard?" I asked, frowning. We walked outside, down the staircase and to the middle of the yard. I heard Embry and Quil muttering in the trees as they got ready to phase. "What the hell are you idiots thinking?" she demanded.

"We're thinking of evening this out, what do you mean?"

"Of course you are. There's nothing I can say to stop you, is there?" I shrugged. Her voice was anguished now. "If you die, I swear to god I'll bring you back and kill you myself."

"I won't die." I sighed. "You don't seem to understand what this means, do you? There are twenty one of them, maybe less. There's ten of us now." Her eyes widened at this. She counted through everybody in her head but it didn't add up. "Two new guys. Collin and Brady. That makes seventeen in total. We're more than strong enough for this, it wont be a problem. You were there, you saw the looks on Alice and Jake's face. We'll be fine I promise." She seemed calmer, but not placated. "What's wrong?"

"Bella told me none of this." She explained. She was worried about her cousin. It was eating her up, I could tell that much. "I'm gonna be there." She said after a moment. It was my turn to look confused.

"At the fight? Not a chance. If you think I'm letting you anywhere close to danger like that you're insane."

"No, not the fight. I meant the meeting tonight, can I come with?"

"How would you get there?" she grinned at that, a plan forming in her mind. "What? What are you thinking about?"

"You're going to take me."

"How?"

"On your back."


	19. Chapter 19 - Observation

**Authors Note: This one gets heavy toward the end. It'll continue on that note in the next chapter. Lots of character development coming up. **

* * *

"What." I deadpanned. She started laughing so hard I thought she would start throwing up. "You heard me. I am going to ride on your back all the way to the place." I shook my head. "Why the hell would you want to do that?"

"Because you're faster and safer than any car and I've wanted to since I first saw you as a wolf. I used to ride horses a lot, it won't be a problem."

"I'm not a horse!" I shouted, exasperated. A couple people lingering outside shot me glances. I glared back at them until they looked away. "You get the idea. This isn't negotiable."

"You're right, because you're going to stay home." I started to walk past her into the forest when she caught my arm, prompting me to turn to look at her again. "Please?"

* * *

_You are so whipped. _Leah was laughing hysterically as I presented the idea to Sam. He didn't care in the least, he was far more concerned with surviving the night. The entire time leading up to the meeting, we started doing drills. Collin and Brady were still very new, but I was new as well. The difference is whatever alpha part of me had developed me far quicker than anybody else had. Apparently faster than Jake, even. I was about as tall as he had been, and noticing this got me noticing that he had grown to be almost as tall as Sam. The kid shot up, and none of us had expected it. Then again, so had I. I was faster, stronger, taller… it was very odd in some ways, but natural in so many others.

We'd practiced lunging, dodging and fleeing while Sam went over little details about Vampires we'd need to know to kill them. For one, they didn't die, not really. To truly kill them required fire. The idea was to be fast, faster than them, more aggressive than them and stronger than them, and we were all those things. Our jaw strength was monsterous, our speed was supernatural for the slowest of us. For the fast runners like Leah, Jake and I, the speed was blinding. Vampires were fast, too fast for their form, but we had the advantage of four legs and animalistic muscles. We're faster. We bite harder.

The way we start is with dismantling them piece by piece, coming in for brief collisions, keeping out of their reach while we tore pieces from them. The way Sam played over the killing of a vampire named Laurant was incredibly informative. He and Jake had worked like a force of nature, spinning around him, confusing him as they ripped pieces from him like tearing tin foil. Hands, forearms, shoulders, legs and finally the head were completely removed as he fought desperately for his life. At the end of it all, Sam phased after the rest of the pack piled his limbs, then set it ablaze. Collin and Brady seemed unsure if they could do it, like it was beyond them, too much to handle. I, on the other hand was confident. I knew for a fact I'd be able to do this, my instincts told me this much. While practicing, I'd made more mock killing blows than everybody, and had performed better than everybody. Jacob more than likely would've beat me out if he hadn't been acting as a target. I'd caught his hind leg first, went for the other on a different side and finally yanked him to a stop as I grabbed for his neck. I never bit down, but it got the point across; I was a killing machine. The rest of them were, too.

Once we were all ready, I headed reluctantly to Anna's, stopping just inside the tree line behind the house. She was waiting for me already, and when I came through the trees, she ran toward me, smiling at my form. She seemed more fond of the wolf than she did me. "Holy crap, you're taller." She chuckled. I let out a sigh and lay down, letting her clamber up and fit herself into place, her knees behind my shoulders and her arms wrapped around my neck, clasped together. Payback time. I bolted faster than she'd been expecting, earning a squeal from her as I dodged trees in a clumsy manner. "NOT COOL." She shouted when I finally stabilized myself, moving with the usual ease through the forest as her grip lessened slightly. I rejoined the rest of the pack about a mile out from the clearing, and heard her gasp at the sight of all of them. _She acts like she's never seen a supernatural pack of super wolves before. _Quil chuckled, falling into place beside me to give her a wolfish grin. The way they thought of her was sister-like, as if she was a member of the pack as well. They felt the same way about Emily, and Jared's imprint. She was family just like I was. Leah, on the other hand, was indifferent. She didn't show her kindness or otherwise. _Oh I'm sorry, should I be licking her feet? _She snarled. I growled in response and Sam reprimanded the two of us with a sharp bark. Anna stiffened slightly, but otherwise stayed silent. I looked back at her and she nodded, letting me know she was ready. We moved through the forest quickly, but slower still than we had originally. It was a much more comfortable pace for Anna, as evident by her releasing her death grip on my neck when she sat up.

Once we got close enough, I nudged her side, signaling her to get down while the others walked ahead of me. I heard Edwards voice, warning the rest that we were coming. _How can you hear him already? _Embry demanded. I just shrugged. _I dunno. None of you can? _They responded with silence as I zeroed in on the quiet conversation. I listened as they shifted, their footsteps shuffling as we approached slowly. _Now I can hear them. That's crazy. _Quil stated, impressed. _You're definitely progressing faster than is normal. We'll talk about this later. _Sam mentioned. I nodded as our thoughts shifted collectively. We came into view, and the look on their faces was almost comical. "Damn." The biggest said. Every one of us had a small moment of self satisfaction as they gawked at us. As we came to a stop, I watched as Anna shifted nervously. The leader stepped forward to welcome us, and Sam replied. The mind reader translated as expected.

Sam and Carlisle traded words, and I watched as Anna glanced between our groups nervously. Once they had finished, all ten of us sank to the ground, and Anna seemed almost startled by the action, unsure what to do. She looked down at me, and I just shrugged, glancing between her and Jasper as he began to explain. Eventually, she sank down beside me, leaning against me as she ran her fingers through my fur, I noted absentmindedly that this was enjoyable. When Jasper started to move, it was like nothing I'd ever seen before. He was almost too fast to see, but after he started, I was able to follow him without trouble. I noted any opportunities I could have used in his movements while watching as the big one, Emmet, charged him. Suddenly, the fight froze as Emmet was caught from behind, cursing as Jasper stepped away.

Again, we acted collectively, making small noises of approval. He was a valuable ally to have. Jasper called the small one, Alice, into the little fighting area next to make a show out of it for Bella. When this fight started, I was almost floored while I watched. She knew what he'd do before he did, so she moved milliseconds before he did, barely moving as she dodged with ease. Jasper picked up the pace, and Alice responded in kind as she twisted, curled and shifted ever so slightly, avoiding every attack with a kind of grace only she could possess. When this fight ended, there was a wary kind of grumble from the rest of them. I was captured by the sudden urge to join in. _Absolutely not. _Sam spoke, using that strange voice that I had no choice but to obey. It sent shivers up my spine.

Edward joined the fight this time and Alice sat next to Bella, whispering something into her ear so quietly not even I could hear it. The fight I watched now was even more impressive than the last. Jasper moved with the speed and grace one could only gain by years and years of experience while Edward read his thoughts just as he acted, dodging and attacking startlingly fast. They snarled at each other, probably instinctual but it only proved what they were. Even nice monsters are still monsters. It's just a shame I'm every bit of one as they are. After a while, Anna had drifted off to sleep against me, and the fights had finally ended. Jasper had offered for us to return tomorrow, and Sam had confirmed that we would be returning. Sam proposed a suggestion that set every us on edge. "The pack thinks it would be helpful to be familiar with each of our scents – so they don't make mistakes later. If we could hold very still it would make it easier for them."

"Certainly, whatever you need." Carlisle assured us as a collective grumble went about them. _You're making me kill my nose, you know. _Quil complained. I nudged Anna slightly, but she'd already awoken, and stood. She followed us out into the clearing, then split away to watch us with Bella. Each one of us took in a deep breath, memorizing each individual scent, though it hurt our noses to do so. _Ass, they smell like ass. _Leah had complained as she finished. I had approached them last. I inhaled very slowly, making sure to memorize them perfectly, recognizing Edwards the instant I got close to him. I'd been smelling it every day for the past few days. It was familiar to me. He'd glanced down at me when I approached, but otherwise made no acknowledgement of me as I finished with the last one. Jacob ended up breaking off to harass Bella while I accompanied the others. The idea of being alone between any of them was enough to break through anyone's control. I'd been the only exception other than Sam and Jake.

The others left while Jake and Edward had a short conversation, Jacob growing increasingly frustrated with his answers. I'd stayed behind with him while the others left, standing beside Carlisle as I watched him. Anna was watching me intently, while the other vampires watched as Jacob left the clearing. I sighed heavily in exasperation. _You're an idiot. _I told him. _I want you with me. _ He replied just before he phased. I trotted into the woods after him, phased beside him and yanked my shorts on just as he started walking. We approached them again, giving the others a wide birth as we walked toward Edward briskly. They'd all broken off and were talking separately now.

"Okay bloodsucker, what's so complicated about it?" Jacob demanded as we stopped. I moved to stand beside Anna, rolling my eyes at her. She smiled back as Edward answered.

"I have to consider every possibility. What if somebody gets by you?"

Jacob laughed, and I smiled as well. "Okay, so leave her on the reservation. We're making Collin and Brady stay behind anyway. She'll be safe there."

"Are you talking about me?" Bella demanded, glaring at him.

"I just want to know what he plans to do with you during the fight," Jacob explained.

" _Do_ with me?"

"You can't stay in Forks, Bella. They know where to look for you there. What if someone slipped by us?"

She gasped "Charlie?" of course, always worrying about somebody else when it was her life at stake. How Bella.

She and Edward had spoke about getting a few of her friends away after her worries about Charlie had been pacified.

"But what about keeping her in La Push?" Jacob interrupted them.

"She's been back and forth too much," Edward said. "She's left trails all over the place. Alice only sees very young vampires coming on the hunt, but obviously someone created them. There is someone more experienced behind this. Whoever he or she is, this _could_ all be a distraction. Alice will see if he decides to look himself, but we could be very busy at the time that decision is made. Maybe someone is counting on that. I can't leave her somewhere she's been frequently. She _has_ to be hard to find, just in case. It's a very long shot, but I'm not taking chances."

Jacob gestured to the forest.

"So hide her here," he suggested. "There's a million possibilities - places either one of us could be in just a few minutes if there's a need."

Edward shook his head. "Her scent is too strong and, combined with mine, especially distinct. Even if I carried her, it would leave a trail. _Our_ trace is all over the range, but in conjunction with Bella's scent, it would catch their attention. We're not sure exactly which path they'll take, because _they_ don't know yet. If they crossed her scent before they found us..."

They both grimaced at this. "Which brings up another point." I interjected, surprising the both of them. "With how much you're at her house, Anna is kind of covered in your scent as well. If I can deduce that, one of you can very easily." He nodded, unsure where I was going. "Not to mention how close she is with Bella. They're also pretty similar in scent surprisingly enough. Somebody inexperienced could very easily mistake the two of them without seeing them. I'm not leaving her in Forks during this, and if Bella isn't safe in La Push than I don't believe her to be, either."

"You certainly have a point. What do you suggest?" Edward asked. Anna seemed irritated by the conversation.

"You would know just as well as I." I tapped my head. "I don't have any ideas. I don't know how to hide a scent, I'm too new at this thing."

"Wait, hide a scent?" Jake said, something dawning on him. "Hmm, not bad." Edward plucked the thought from his head. He called for Jasper, and he approached us with Alice in tow.

"Okay, Jacob." Edward nodded. I was still confused.

"We're going to see if I can confuse the scent enough to hide your trail," Jacob explained.

"You're going to have to let him carry you, Bella. And you," he looked at me. "Cameron." He remembered. "You'll have to carry her as well. Preferably separate paths, it'll confuse the scent and split them up if they do follow it, though I don't see why they would. " I nodded, turning to look at Anna. Edward had started talking to Jasper and Jake yanked Bella up into his arms while she grumbled in distaste.

"This is stupid. You're being over cautious."

"I don't care. I refuse to have you in any danger. I'm sorry." She sighed, but held her arms up, as if I was going to grab her under her arms. I rolled my eyes and bent down, bumping the back of her knees, promping her to sit as I lifted her bridal style. "This is stupid." She repeated herself, and I chuckled, walking with Jake toward the forest. He directed me toward a different path, and I strolled off, running through the trees. "I don't like this." She said after a few minutes. "Well, we don't have a choice. Sorry."

"No, I mean the fight."

"We still don't have a choice."

"I guess. I'm still worrying about it."

"That's stupid. You don't need to. Everything will be fine, we're perfectly safe."

"You said it yourself, you're too new to this whole thing. How are you going to fight if you don't know how?"

"Who said I don't know how?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, curious now.

"Fighting is instinctual, Anna. I'm very fast and very strong. We did little mock fights of our own, and I did just fine in them."

"Whatever. I still don't like it."

"Sorry."

We'd ended up making an arc and circling back around to the clearing where Edward stood alone. Edward and Bella were bickering as usual, and Anna was now silent in my arms. We arrived at the same time and set them down as Alice and Jasper returned. They spoke cryptically for a few seconds before Edward explained the plan.

"We're - well, _you're_ - going to leave a false trail to the clearing, Bella. The newborns are hunting, your scent will excite them, and they'll come exactly the way we want them to without being careful about it. Alice can already see that this will work. When they catch _our_ scent, they'll split up and try to come at us from two sides. Half will go through the forest, where her vision suddenly disappears..."

"Yes!" Jacob hissed.

I smiled at this, excited about the plan though not quite as much as Jacob was. Anna was clearly unhappy with our excitement, as was Bella.

Edward interrupted us as he snarled at Jasper.

"I know, I know. I didn't even consider it, not really." He said quickly, explaining himself. Alice stepped on his foot, demanding an answer.

"If they were actually in the clearing, it would drive them insane. They wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything but the two of them, it would make picking them off truly easy." Edward had glared, but my reaction was far more violent, as an inhuman snarl ripped up my throat, startling the group of them. "Absolutely not." I spat, my arms shaking violently. Anna placed a hand on the small of my back and grabbed my arm with her other hand, pulling me back so that she could look me in the eye. I calmed almost instantly.

"Of course it's too dangerous, it was just an errant thought." He backtracked quickly. He eyed Bella, almost hopeful. I couldn't believe him. It was beyond tempting to rip him apart. "No." Edward said, his voice ending the conversation then and there. He and Alice left to go practice as I glared after them. "Jasper looks at from a military perspective." Edward explained defensively. I looked at him, incredulous. "He looks at all the options. It's thoroughness, not callousness."

"Whatever." I said, still irritated.

"I'll bring her here Friday afternoon to lay the false trail. You can meet us afterward, and carry her to a place I know. Completely out of the way, and easily defensible, not that it will come to that. I'll take another route there."

"And then what? Leave her with a cell phone?" Jacob asked critically.

"You have a better idea?"

Jacob was suddenly smug. "Actually, I do."

"Oh… Again, dog, not bad at all."

"We tried to talk Seth into staying behind with the younger two. He's still too young, but he's stubborn and he's resisting. So I thought of a new assignment for him - cell phone."

"As long as Seth's a wolf, he'll be connected to us." I explained when Bella didn't understand.

"Distance isn't a problem?" He asked, looking between Jacob and I.

"Nope." We replied in unision.

"Three hundred miles? That's impressive."

"It's the farthest we've ever gone to experiment, still clear as a bell."

"Think of it like a radio tower. We're each a unique carrier wave, but we're mobile. There is no limit." I explained further.

"It's a good idea." Edward admitted reluctantly. "I'll feel better with Seth there, even without the instantaneous communication. I don't know if I'd be able to leave Bella there alone. To think it's come to this, though! Trusting werewolves!"

"Fighting _with_ vampires instead of against them!" Jacob mirrored Edward's tone of disgust.

"Well, you still get to fight against some of them," Edward said. Jacob smiled. "That's the reason we're here."

"Thank you for your help, Edward." I spoke. He nodded, effectively ending the conversation as we split up. "Hey, Anna do you need a ride home?" Bella called out to her. She just shook her head. "No, thanks. I'll see you after a while." She followed me out into the forest and watched as Jacob phased, surprised with his lack of modesty. He ran off, leaving me alone with her. "We're used to it by now. It's just a part of phasing together all the time. You're bound to see more than you want to." She shrugged.

"What's wrong?

"I don't like this, Cam. I don't like you fighting, it scares me. Any of you fighting…"

"I know. I wish we didn't have to, but I promise you it will be easy. You watched them fight, imagine all of us doing exactly that. There'll be no contest. It'll be over quickly, then I'll come get you and I'll bring you back to La Push for a quiet day on the beach."

"That isn't the point, Cam!" She snapped. "Easy or not, something could happen to you! What if you get hurt? How do you expect me to live with that when I feel as strongly as I do about you? This isn't something I can just forget, this is infinitely deeper than anything I've ever felt for anybody. _I cannot lose you._" She was crying now.

"I don't know what you want me to do, Anna. They need me there, it will be so much easier with all of us together. You don't have to worry about those things, do you really think Jake will let something happen to me? Or Sam for that matter? We're family, Anna. They are my brothers. They will not let anything happen to me, just like I wont let anything happen to them. Not to mention the vampires that will be there. If we were alone it would be a different story, but there will be fifteen of us, and we're all experienced fighters. The Cullens are powerful as well as gifted, they have somebody who can see the future, and another that can read minds. They've got hundreds of years of experience while these vampires have none. They are ruled by their instincts and completely unaware. We will win without any casualties. I guarantee it."

"How are you so certain?"

"I just am. I need you to trust me on this like I trust you on everything else." She stared at me for a long time in silence. Finally she spoke, her voice cracking with emotion. "I trust you. Just… please come back. Promise me."

I placed my hands on either side of her face and looked into her eyes. "I swear on my life I will do everything in my power to come back to you in one piece. I promise you this. Do you understand?" she nodded, the tears still flowing from her eyes as she wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her tightly to my chest as she began to calm down.

"I promise."


	20. Chapter 20 - Confession

**Authors Note: Not much to say about this one. A little action, a little bit of the aforementioned heaviness. Chapter twenty - holy crap - comin' at 'ya! **

* * *

After a much more relaxed run home, Anna was drifting off again to sleep, jerking awake every once in a while as I made sure she kept her balance, taking far more time than was necessary. The others were in the background of my mind, running through more drills and using the knowledge we'd gained from the Cullen's about the newborns. Sam was human, standing before them all in only a pair of shorts as he talked, using himself as a kind of test dummy. He'd essentially re-enacted what we'd seen at the clearing, moving not as fast as the vampires, but just fast enough to make it useful. Leah was currently up, making moves far more aggressive than was necessary. I'd learned of that story while with Embry and Quil, so it made a lot more sense why she felt so bitter toward everything. I couldn't blame her. She lunged for Sam again from behind after doing quick feint, and slammed into him, knocking him to the ground while she chuckled. Sam simply sighed and stood before ordering the others to come and try in turn. "Cameron." He'd spoke aloud, knowing I'd hear him via the others. "After you finish dropping her off, I want you here as fast as possible. We have things to talk about." I'd made a confirmation that he hadn't heard, and Embry had nodded for me, standing in front of Sam, the next runner up.

I eventually trotted up to the back door, and noticed that a familiar smell had returned to the place. I suppose I was on good enough terms to ask him a small favor, and the instant I thought it, he was at the back door, holding it open. _I hope you don't mind. _I thought toward him. He shook his head, reaching out to take her gently from my back. A part of me was happy when she seemed reluctant to let go, but he overpowered her easily and held her as I had before in the clearing. "Not at all. Thank you for bringing her back so soon, Bella was worrying." _She does that a lot. _I replied, chuckling. "More than you'll ever know." He agreed, a small semblance of a smile playing at his lips. _Thanks again. _I thought before turning my back on him and walking back into the forest.

I sprinted back toward the group, coming into a stop in the space open in our little circle, sitting down as I looked at Sam curiously. "Obviously there are some things we need to talk about." He spoke aloud, turning to watch each of our expressions before he finally rested on me. "The rate of your advancement is faster than the rest of us. Your senses are better, and honestly I think you're going to end up faster than any of us, too." He eyed Leah warily from the corner of his eye. She'd spat an obscenity at him mentally, but otherwise did nothing. "Naturally this is because of the Alpha instinct and Genes you possess. I would offer you the position as I did Jacob," I growled at mention of this. "But you're clearly not going to have it either. I can however, change up the pecking order a bit. From this point, you are my third in command." All heads turned toward me. "This means you have the right to give the same orders Jake and I do. They will follow your lead and your word." I nodded, not entirely sure how I felt about the situation. _Cam's special. _Quil joked, earning a collective laugh from the group. _He's a special kind of idiot, that's for sure. _Leah corrected, standing and striding out of the group, sprinting once she passed the trees toward her home trying desperately to hide her thoughts.

Sam Joined us again, the circle splitting as Jacob trotted to stand at his right, the spot on his left originally occupied by Jared now open for me. The instant I walked forward, it was with different purpose as I claimed that right, and it was almost tangible the difference I felt. It was as if taking up that position of command had changed me somehow, though I couldn't tell how. I was born to lead, right? This is as close as I'll get. Maybe my body knows it. I stopped at his left side and turned to look at him. So many changes in so little time…

* * *

_Alright, Cam. This time it's your turn. _Sam thought, standing in the center of a wide circle the rest of us had made around him. We'd found a large clearing perfect for this. _But I'm not going easy on you. This is full force, no holds bar. You fight me like you're fighting for your life, do you understand? _I walked forward into the circle, dipping my head to answer him. _Wolf v wolf. Obviously we wont try to kill each other. Incapacitate at whatever cost, including injury. You'll heal before the meeting with the leeches tonight. _I nodded again, and he paced back, putting a good distance between us. _Ready? _Jake asked, acting like a referee. _Go. _

To say Sam was fast is an understatement. He shot forward like a cobra strike, a straight beeline for my position, unmoving in my original pace. The difference between Sam and I is still pretty big, though. If Sam is like a cobra strike, than I'm a lightning strike. I feinted to the left, juking his massive form easily, but he turned just as easily as he ran straight, and he was back on me faster than before. I ducked, jumped backward, dodged, evaded him as much as possible, sustaining a few scrapes where his claws had caught me, but they'd healed before he raised for another strike. I was on constant defense, faster than he was but still not as skilled. I saw openings, but I couldn't use them properly, so when he suddenly barreled into me from the side it caught me off guard, sending me into survival mode. I rolled to my feet quicker than he did, and used the added time to catch his right flank, flipping the two of us over onto the ground where the fight suddenly felt more real than it had before. His voice in my head was gone, the others were gone and all I could hear was the rapid thumping of my heart as my instincts took over, my vision tinting red as I tunneled on him.

We traded rapid blows, clawing at each other as we eventually found ourselves on our feet again. I barely managed to control myself as I went for his neck, my teeth biting down, but not puncturing the flesh there. My hesitation, however, had become the seed of my defeat. He shook my hold on him, bit down on my right flank and spun me over and slammed me into the ground before placing his own teeth at my neck. I relaxed under him, unmoving in my surrender as my senses rushed back and I came back down to earth. _You will make a damn good fighter one of these days. _Sam said, releasing me as he stepped back, letting me stand and shake the dirt from my fur. _I kind of let my instincts take over. _I replied, shrugging. _Yeah, well your instincts almost won that fight. If you hadn't hesitated you might have beaten me. _

_Or killed you. I hesitated because I almost bit straight into your throat. _

_Nah, they would have pulled you off if that happened. Besides, all I had to do was give an order and you'd stop if I was in any danger. _I nodded. I still wasn't comfortable with it, but it made no difference. _You're more than ready for this. We all are. I want every one of you to go home and rest. We start drills tomorrow. Cam, Seth, Quil and Embry, you too. No patrol tonight. _The woop from Seth and Quil made me chuckle as we all split up, going in separate directions to our homes.

* * *

The next two days of my life were pretty much the same. I'd wake up, run as fast and as hard as I possibly could, pushing myself to my absolute limit for two straight hours before everybody got together for the usual meeting. I'd scrapped with Sam, Jacob and even a couple of the others. Jacob had kicked my ass in no time flat, literally slamming into my side so hard I'd thought I would be seeing stars. When I got up and fought back, it was laughably easy for him to evade me, then he'd spotted an opening and flipped be backward onto my back with his teeth at my throat. The others, however, were different stories. Embry, Jared, Quil and even Seth had taken shots at me, part of the reasoning to test my abilities, to see if I actually deserved the third spot. I'd beaten them all just as fast as Jake had beat me, the one exception being Jared. The two of us had had it out for ten straight minutes before it was decided we were at a draw. He'd insisted he was starting to get tired, though, and I would have won out. The second meeting had been far less serious than the others. Jake, Quil, Embry and I had all gone by ourselves along with Anna, who still insisted on coming with. Jake spent the time laying beside Bella, having silent conversations while I sat against a tree watching with Anna beside me. I'd phased back, opting for being able to hold a conversation instead of answering with vague gestures or silence. She was intensely stressed, and it was worrying me. Throughout the entire meeting, she'd sat curled into my side in complete silence.

Apparently Edward was now sitting out of the fight via Bella's request. Anna hadn't said much about it, or anything for that matter. After the night was over, I carried her back to her house on my back like the first night, only she'd stayed awake this time. She thanked me for taking her then disappeared inside her house. I, however, was having none of that. I phased before she closed the back door and yanked my shorts on. As soon as the door clicked shut, I'd opened it again, and she turned to give me a quizzical stare. "What's wrong?" I demanded, shutting the door quietly behind me as I whispered. "Nothing." She answered.

"No, that's not good enough. You've been quiet all day, you've barely said anything and you're so stressed it's giving me stomach pains. I can feel it, Anna. There's something wrong that you're not telling me, and don't tell me I'm wrong because I can physically feel it. I need to know you're okay before I lose my mind." I pleaded.

"You know what's stressing me out, Cam. I told you this already."

"Oh no, it's more than that. There's something else. You made me promise I would come back alive. I promised. I told you that Sam and Jake will do everything they can to keep me safe, and you know for a fact they will. There's more. What is it?" She was silent for a long time.

"Tell me!" I demanded, barely keeping my voice level.

"Everything!" she replied, not bothering to use any kind of inside voice. She pushed me outside, then shut the door behind her so we wouldn't wake Charlie up. "Everything is wrong! I go to these meetings and it's like watching a horror movie. Jasper moves faster than anything I've ever seen, Edward moves even faster than that. Emmet can rip trees in half with zero effort, every single one of them is unbelievably strong. They are practically indestructible. Then I look at you." She motioned to my bare chest. "You skin is hot, theirs is stone cold. You're soft while they're as hard as granite. You move fast, but they move faster. You are stronger than any human on the planet, but they are _stronger, _and the newborns are even stronger than that! Stronger than Emmet who is a literal giant! You're breakable! They aren't! And you want to rush off into a fight with TWENTY OF THEM! Meanwhile, I'm so torn between not stifling you and trying to control what you do, and wanting so desperately for you to stay behind and out of this I can't even think straight! Edward is willing to sit this out because his girlfriend asked him to. Sure, she used something against him that probably wasn't necessary, but he's doing it because they're together and that means more to him than worrying her even though he's practically indestructible in every conceivable way. Then there's us." She paused, letting silence fill the gap I'd been unable to.

"I can't demand things of you. I can't get too close to you because I'm afraid to do something wrong and hurt you somehow. I don't even know what we are. All I know is I want more than this." She gestured between us. "I want more than friends. I want to know that we have a future together that isn't full of maybes. Maybe we'll get together eventually, maybe you'll decide you care about me more than just as a friend, maybe we'll be like siblings because that's what the imprinting decides for us. I don't want to be your sister, Cam. I'm falling hard here, and I don't think I can climb back up."

"Is this about us or about me participating?"

"BOTH!" she yelled.

"Good, because I have two solutions." I replied, closing the gap between us. I lifted her face up, placing my finger under her chin. "I'm not falling for you, Anna," I began. The pain on her face as I said the words made my chest ache. "because I already fell." I finished the sentence as I closed the only distance between us, touching my lips to hers lightly as the world fell away, and all that was left was us. It was as if that first feeling I'd had when I saw her that first time had returned with a vengeance as it surged through my chest, eradicating everything else but the need to keep her safe and happy. This girl is all I want and need. Nothing else matters. My thoughts returned as we slowly came back down, separating after what felt like an eternity, yet somehow wasn't long enough. "I don't know what love is." I dropped my and from her face and snaked it around her waist, pulling her into my chest. "I've never felt it before. I know it's too soon, that I shouldn't feel as strongly for you as I do… but I do. I think I love you Anna, and if you want me to sit out, then I will sit out. I'll replace Seth and stay with you."

"Thank you…" she whispered, voice barely audible through her tears. "I don't know if I love you yet." She said after a while, unmoving as she rested her head against me. "But I hope this is good enough for now."

"Of course it is, you silly girl." I sighed, resting my chin atop her head. "Everything is perfect for the moment. We have all the time in the world."

* * *

_I don't like this. _Sam was pacing around the circle we'd made up. _We need you there, Cam. You're one of our best._

_You don't really need me. Seth is good, he's more than good enough to take out a newborn, and with you all there helping him it'll go very smoothly. Besides, you have Jake. He's a monster, he'll probably do more than the rest of us would have anyways. _I said, earning a smirk from Jake and a comment from Leah involving a word very closely related to gay. _Shut up, Leah. Why exactly can't you do this? Why are you so insistent on sitting out? _I could feel him trying to probe my thoughts, and I bristled in response, snarling at him. That was one thing I would not stand for. He stopped, apologizing before he resumed his pacing. I ran over part of the conversation with Anna, specifically where I promised I would sit this out. I also included the constant stress I'd felt and the expression on her face, and accidently let slip the last part of it. I cut that off instantly, but it had been enough for them to get the idea. The group had started harassing me instantly, but Sam cut them off with a bark. _Look, I get it. Believe me, I do. But we need you. I can't let us be a man down, the risk- _

_Is negligible. There are nineteen newborns and fifteen of us. You have experience, they don't. It'll go on without a hitch, you know it will. I'll be close by anyways. If anything happens, I can be there within seconds. I'll be phased anyways. _

Sam thought about it for a full five minutes, weighing alternatives while I sat, watching him and countering errant thoughts with logical ones whenever they cropped up. It was eventually agreed that I would sit this fight out.

We continued with drilling, though I took more of an instructive position than a learning one. I became a test dummy for the rest, lumbering after them like I was inexperienced at times, pushing them harder and harder in mock fights until they were able to at least injure me in others. After a few hours, we ended the final fight between Jared and I yet again with a draw. This one had gone in his favor, though. I had some pretty bad cuts, but they'd heal soon enough, anyways. We all split up again for the day since we didn't have a meeting to go to, and I made for Anna's house. Charlie was out, Bella was spending the next two days with Edward so that made it pretty easy for me to phase and knock on the back door unannounced. She opened to door with a smile that quickly faded as she yanked me by the arm inside, pulling me over to the sink. "What the hell happened?" she demanded, earning a puzzled look from me. She touched her finger lightly to my face, and it stung when she touched it. She pulled back a drop of blood on her finger. "Oh, I didn't realize I was still cut. Sorry, Jared and I were sparring." I explained while she grabbed a clean rag. She began to wet it when I turned off the water. "Sparring isn't cutting each others faces, what if that scar- hey! Why did you do that? I need to clean it." I grabbed her wrist gently and turned her around. "Look at me." She looked at my face, zeroing in on the cut. "Watch it." I commanded.

I felt it close moments later, so I grabbed the damp cloth and wiped my face. "See?" I smiled at her. "I'm not indestructible but I heal ridiculously fast. I'm surprised it didn't heal on the way over, it must have been bad." She shook her head and yanked the cloth from my hand, running the water again. "Your cheek is covered in dried blood." She said irritably, wiping it away roughly.

"Dumb ass."


	21. Chapter 21 - Collision

**Authors Note: We're at the final chapter of Eclipse, so I hope you'll forgive me for posting this a day late. I had a lot of trouble getting this thing the way I wanted it, but I wanted to do the fight justice since I excluded him from the bigger one. I know I essentially replaced Seth with Cam in this, but it wont change Seth's relationship with the Cullen's any, and he's still going to have that comradeship with Edward. The only difference will be Cam. As usual. Without further ado, I present Chapter Twenty one, the final chapter, comin' at 'ya.**

* * *

"You totally just mom'd me." I complained a while later, lounging on the couch as she started cleaning the counter vigorously. "Why are you bleaching it?" I called, smelling the foul substance from my position. "I didn't drip on anything, did I?"

"No, but Bella literally faints at the sight and smell of blood. It repulses her. Not to mention Edward being a vampire, why make it harder for him?"

"Well for one, Edward would never drink my blood, it's disgusting to him. It smells horrid to him and compels him to avoid it, that's why we always act like the other smells… they do. For two, you sister is weird. How can you date a vampire and be afraid of blood?"

"He drinks it, not her. It's not like she watches him do it." She grumbled, finishing her task. "I suppose. Still gross." I replied, eyes narrowing. "Definitely can't argue with that. They're gross creatures, if you ask me." I was surprised to hear that come from her. "And yet you treat them like humans, even argue with me and make me treat them better."

"The Cullens, yes. You can hate all the other ones all you like, but the Cullens are good people. All of them, to their core."

"If you like 'em so much why don't you marry them?" I joked, watching as she rounded the couch. "Well for one, they're all taken." She sat down on the couch between my legs, laying back into my chest. "For two, I'm kind of partial to werewolves." She placed a kiss on my jaw, earning a smile from me. "Yeah, I'm pretty great." I nodded, smiling down at her as she looked up at me. "So…" she bit her lip like she always does when she wants to ask a question she isn't sure she should. "Do you really not mind me being this close?" she asked, wiggling slightly closer, as if to emphasize it. "Nope." I answered, wrapping my arms around her midsection. "Why not?" she asked, eyeing me quizzically.

"Because you're different." I shrugged. "When you're close it's more intimate to me, it doesn't register on the same level. But doing this," I grabbed her upper arm. "I take it as aggression. He never hugged or kissed me, so you're free to do that all you like." She rolled her eyes, smacking my arm. "Really, though. It's different with you. You're so familiar to me and so drastically a part of who I am now… honestly you could probably point a gun at me and get less of a reaction than he would have by raising his hand." She frowned at this. "I hate him." She mumbled.

"I don't."

"Why the hell not, after all he did?"

"Because if he hadn't I wouldn't be where I am now. I wouldn't have met you on that bus, and I'd be a completely different person now. I would go through it a thousand times over if this is the result every single time."

* * *

I spent the rest of the day with Anna, and even stayed when Charlie came home. Granted, we sat farther apart on the couch than before and made absolutely zero physical contact in front of him, but I stayed, and it was progress. We'd had a short conversation about fishing, in which I'd told him I'd never been but would very much like to, and he'd offered to take me with him and Billy the day after tomorrow, but as I had a place to be I'd had to decline, and requested he let me know when he went the next time. He was easy to talk to, mainly because he talked very little. Anna and I had sat quietly during a couple T.V shows, then eventually moved to the kitchen when he turned a game on. She'd brought out two sketch pads and made me draw with her. Needless to say, my drawing of a tree had ended up looking like a big rectangle with a pile of sticks on top of it, while her drawing of an entire forest had me impressed and jealous.

The day came to a slow crawl, and Charlie was getting ready to head to bed. He'd made it very clear that I was to be gone in fifteen minutes, but before he left, I'd asked if Anna could spend the night with me at the Cullens place along with Bella. I'd assured him that I was good friends with Edward and he definitely wouldn't mind, and he agreed after some pretend consideration. He trusted me, thankfully. It probably helped that he would be able to call them at any time to make sure we were actually there, and it definitely helped that we wouldn't be alone, and as a result neither would they. He was a good man, and a good father.

So, the next day I knocked on the door, making sure to come right as he left for work so he'd known she would be gone. He left, and Anna and I stepped inside. "I hate to ask you this, but would you mind if I made something to eat? I want as much energy as I can get just in case something happens tomorrow." She'd made me sit at the kitchen table as she made me pancakes, and while I was eating she packed a lunch as well as a box of protein bars for the next day. I thanked her as I washed my plate off. When we'd packed all of the things we'd need, we stepped out back to find a large backpack there. "Yours?" she asked, picking it up. "Yep. That's my tent, I figured we'd need it. It's supposed to be windy tonight."

"I should go grab another sweater, then." She'd made to walk for the door but I grabbed her wrist and spun her around. She came to a stop in front of me, much closer than she'd been before. "What are you doing?"

"Showing you why you won't need a second sweater." I answered, wrapping my arms around her. She got my point after a few seconds when my body heat had completely warmed her clothing. "That's incredibly useful." She commented before pulling my head down for our second kiss.

"Yeah, I can definitely get used to this." I smirked as she pulled away. "Hurry up and change, I want to get this over with." She replied, blushing. I nodded, pacing off into the cover of the trees momentarily, returning as a wolf so she could climb up along with our things. The others were running drills again when I phased. _I can't believe you're going to miss the fun. _Quil had complained as I ran gently through the trees toward the clearing. _Honestly, why did she insist on this in the first place? It's ridiculous. _

_She feels like I'll be in danger. _I replied. He laughed at this, and I chuckled as well. _Yeah right. You'd kick ass. _

_Thanks, dude. _

I took her to the designated place, then led her through the trees, still a wolf. I stopped once we reached a separate clearing and let her off, waiting patiently as she removed the bags from my back before I moved back into the trees to phase again. When I returned, she'd made her way over to where Jacob, Bella and Edward were while I set up the tent a short ways away from the other, shoving the stakes into the ground, wedging them between the rock and the dirt, making a very effective anchor.

Night came, and with it the storm they hadn't predicted in the paper. I'd been awake through the entire night, watching Anna under her three blankets that I'd packed shiver harder than the tent was under the wind. "Okay, that's it." I said finally as she took in a shuddering breath. She'd kept saying she was fine, that she wasn't cold, but she hadn't been shivering at all when she'd told me this. I lay gently down on the mattress, I'd bought a real one for tonight specifically, and pulled her closer to me. I knew she was grateful for it when she fell asleep minutes after, and I sat, still awake, listening in to the conversation in the other tent. The wind was hard to get through, but like everything else, I seemed to be good at cutting through it.

* * *

Morning came, and with it a crash that woke me up from the little bit of sleep I'd been able to get. I heard a yelp accompany it, and jumped up out of the bed to run for the other tent to find Jacob shaking as he glared at Edward. Bella had mostly diffused the situation before I got there, though. I watched incredulously as Jacob lay back down in the sleeping bag, leaving the tent to go back toward Anna, listening to the entire conversation as I walked. It hadn't taken Jake long to decide to leave, and when he did, he called out toward me. "When you're done, phase. We need to talk to the rest." I nodded and opened the tent, finding Anna sitting up staring at me. "You okay?" I asked as she nodded. "I was sweating, you're insanely warm." She commented as I smiled, peeling off my shirt and tossing it onto the ground inside the tent, then stepped out of view and tossed my pants in as well. I phased, then poked me head through the opening as the others greeted me. _Well, you two had a good night. Did you finally realize your desperate feelings for each other? _Leah taunted as I joined them. _Absolutely. _I replied, watching Anna slide her jacket on. She followed me out into the clearing where I stopped beside Jacob. She had her hand clenched in the fur on my back, probably realizing how close the fight really was.

The others were waiting in the trees now, hiding out from the vampires that would emerge from the other end of the decent sized clearing. I watched through Sam's eyes as he eyed the Cullen's backs. _I wish we could take them out right now. They can't see us and they don't have their mind reader, it would be easy. _Leah commented. I shook my head. _They're our allies in this fight. Besides, Edward is reading our thoughts right now, he'd be there before you guys could kill a single one of them._

_I'd still like to rip their heads off. _

The others ran through plans as I watched Anna. She was staring out at the forest, her face indifferent. I nudged her gently with my nose, and her answering smile didn't reach her eyes. She was very worried. I was then abruptly aware of the conversation behind me, and the anguished thoughts next to me as it came to a close. I pushed Anna back as Jacob yelled, inside my head and directly beside me. His mind went blank as his howl choked off, and then he was gone. I looked at Anna pointedly, and she looked at me quizzically. I shook my head while Edward whispered behind me "Truce over." I growled quietly, but knew he would hear me with ease. The anguish Jacob had been feeling at her constant choosing Edward over him had been tearing at him for a while now, but when she'd confirmed that he'd lost? That there was no hope, and that she was truly gone from him forever? The pain was unimaginable. It echoed so strongly out from him and through the rest of the minds in the pack that not even Leah said anything. No, instead she found a newfound hatred for Bella, one I didn't understand until Sam apologized for what seemed like the millionth time even though I'd heard it only once. What's the relationship there? Or was? It didn't matter.

Bella started spacing about the little space in front of the tent while I watched her. Anna watched with me, unsure if she should say anything or what to say if she should. I cut them off with a whine as Edward caught up to Jacob, and the short argument that followed. I vaguely registered Bella asking me a question, but was too distracted as Edward forced Jacob to stop and listen to him. I was afraid a fight would ensue, and had subconsciously been walking forward toward the trees when they finally stopped yelling and started making their way back to the camp. I could see Jacob forming a plan in his head as he ran. I turned back toward the two of them and came to a stop in front of them, sitting as I shook my head. "The fight?" I shook my head again. She calmed visibly, but still looked distressed. Anna was silent and unmoving as she watched me. I felt Jacobs thoughts leave me and heard their approach. I watched the trees and turned by back to the two of them. It was probably them, but if it wasn't… "It's just us, Cam." Jacob called out. I was listening again to the thoughts of the pack, and walked up to Edward. _Alice is uncertain when the newborns will make the clearing. They're indecisive, apparently. It's changing constantly. _

"Yes, that's all we need," he muttered. "I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. But the timing is going to be very close. Please have Sam ask Alice to try to nail the schedule down better." I nodded, knowing Sam had heard me. He phased and went to pass on the message, and I turned to watch Anna. I jerked my head to the side and she got the message as she came forward to follow me into the woods while the other three had their little conversation. "Is something wrong?" she asked. I shook my head, then stared at the tree line. I listened to Jacob's plan fold out, slightly disgusted, but I knew it was his last ditch effort to make her realize that she had feelings for him, too. It would work. It wouldn't make a difference. Bella had a love for Edward that couldn't be shut off. The sad thing is he knows it.

* * *

The fight started. I watched through as the newborns stumbled into the clearing, unknowing. Anna and I had moved back to Bella's tent, and the three of them were sitting inside while I lay down outside, listening to the commentary from Edward and watching the fight through Sam's eyes. The pack started moving toward the east, around where the ambush party was supposed to come in. The first group in the clearing had started fighting, they could hear that much. As they closed in, the conversations the others were having had become clear to the rest. Leah had snapped into action faster than anybody else, grabbing the unaware newborn by the throat, ripping it off before he could speak about his discovery of Edward and Bella's scent. She dismantled him as the rest of the pack set to work with the others. The practicing we'd done was unnecessary – this was easy. They were so straight forward it was laughable. Sam vaulted over one of them, twisting in the air as he caught its shoulder, ripping it backwards as Seth ran in to help, tearing its limbs off before they shifted to another. The fight unfolded so quickly, I wasn't sure if the vampires had honestly needed our help. They were driving the others toward the clearing, into the others. I was mentally cheering them on, offing advice along with Edward when I caught the scent.

The tent ripped to shreds in an instant, almost exploding as Edward came face to face with me. _Sam, there are some here. _

_How many? Can you tell? _

_Two._

_You need to catch them off guard, go into the trees, come out and attack when they're unaware. _

"Go, Cameron!" Edward shouted, and I rocketed off into the trees, disappearing into them as I waited and listened. I listened as Edward moved the two to the rock, their backs placed against the surface as he took a protective stance, one I was intensely grateful for. Leaving her there in only his protection had been the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life. I waited as Edward spoke, his voice calm as he offered lenience to the other Vampire. He offered him retribution, told him he was being manipulated. "Last chance, Riley," He whispered. _Take it, Riley. _I held back my growls as I hoped he would take the offer. I didn't like the idea of being split up in this fight, what if Edward couldn't take the other one? The bitch with the fire hair spoke to him then, condemning them as I tensed, waiting for my opportunity. I listened as their stances shifted, preparing to attack, and I filled my mind with what that would mean.

Two. Two vampires, not friendly ones, about to take my reason for existing from me. My heart thudded rapidly in my chest as anger I'd felt only two times ripped through me like fire in my veins. I was through the trees in an instant, and slammed so hard into the other Vampire, I wasn't sure if he'd even realized I'd come. I pinned him, clenching my jaw at his neck as I ripped upward in one brutal move, tearing at his throat, nearly taking his head off. He let out a scream as he slammed his fist into my ribs, sending me backward as I let out a sharp yelp of pain.

Edward had joined Victoria in a fight so quick and precise, I wasn't sure if I could have kept up if I were a part of it. Still, I focused entirely on the form in front of me, snarling as he made desperate glances between me and Victoria. When we moved again, it was on equal footing. He wasn't as stupid as the others were, he was older, stronger and more matured. She'd spent time alone with him, taught him to fight properly. It didn't make a difference. When we clashed, a ripping sound joined the crash that sounded like boulders smashing together, I ripped a part of his hand away, tossing it aside as he screamed in agony. He'd made a vicious swipe for me, but I dodged it before he'd been even remotely close. I was ten steps ahead of him, sending his senses in five different directions as I circled him. He'd see me in one place, hear me in another, catch a passing glance, feel my teeth rip into his wrist as I took his right hand, confusing him and disorienting him with speed I hadn't known I'd had. He'd make wild swipes for me, but they'd never hit. I was too fast.

An entire twenty seconds had passed before he'd managed to even hit me, but he hit me harder than anything I'd ever felt, sending me rocketing backward into the rock face, and down into my tent. The entire thing collapsed under me, destroying my makeshift home and nearly impaling me in the process. It hurt, but not enough to be a problem. A rib had definitely cracked… but I could destroy him easily if I had a distraction. I played the advantage he hadn't realized he'd given me, striding forward and flinching backward as if it hurt to walk, and fell to the ground. I listened as Riley advanced, waited for the right moment when I heard a massive crash that had been Victoria's form slamming into a tree. I opened my eyes to see Edward yank at Riley's arms, ripping them backward while I jumped to my feet, watching as Edward removed one of his arms, but it wasn't over. Edward flung Riley's arm into Victoria's leaping form in a move so precise I wasn't sure if it had been real.

Victoria slammed into another tree, this one snapping in half with the force she collided with it. She stood again, hunched, and kicked the arm that had interrupted her, and I watched as it attempted to make its way back toward its owner. I lunged then, taking Riley's shoulder in my teeth as I clamped my jaw shut and yanked backward, removing his second limb with yet another piercing shriek of agony. _Good one, Cam. _I heard Quil comment, caught in a small lull in the battle that ensued on their end. I chuckled, earning a disbelieving look from Riley. "Victoria!" he screamed, begging for her help as he tried to move backward away from me, putting a large distance between us.

I closed the distance with two bounds, the third sending my straight into his form and through the trees where I started ripping at every part of him I could access. With no arms, he was forced to try and kick, but he didn't have enough reach. I bit down on his neck for the second and final time, placing my paw on his chest while I yanked backward as his loudest scream yet ripped through the air and choked off into a gurgle. I set to dismantling the rest of him while I listened as the fight beside me started coming to a close and gently as her head was separated from her body.

He dismantled her far quicker than I had Riley and began to pile them before he came to help me. He picked up his limbs as I grabbed the large piece that had been his torso and stepped back into the clearing. We dropped them into the pile and Edward spoke, "Get every piece."

We set about the camp site, grabbing the various pieces, the result of my messy fight with Riley. Chunks of hand, an arm, an entire hand and other various parts I didn't bother recognizing were soon piled up and set to fire, the choking purple flames enhancing the smell of Vampire so much I thought I would puke.

"Nice teamwork." He smiled, holding out his fist for me to bump my nose into. I watched him run to Bella just before I returned my attention to Anna, still against the wall like she had been when the fight started. It had barely lasted a full minute. The instant I took a step toward her, she had surged forward, wrapping her arms around my neck as she inhaled sharply.

"Oh my god, that was terrifying." She whispered, her voice shuddering with relief as she placed her forehead against mine. I was barely hearing her. I watched the now finished fight in the clearing, checking in on everything. The moment it happened, I thought my lungs had collapsed. Leah had found one, hiding and alive. She tried to take it on her own. The newborn would have had her in an instant, his strength would have been too much for her, but Jacob… he knocked her aside, then got caught in the process. I'd barely registered what had happened to me physically when Edward was talking to me. I need to help, I have to go get him. The vampire was torn apart in seconds by the rest of the pack, but Jacob… I'd started running when Edward yelled out to me. "Cameron!" I whipped my head around, barely holding myself still as yet another threat presented themselves: The Volturi. "You go _straight home. _Now. As fast as you can. She can't be here when they get here, they don't know about her, and they _cannot, _or they will kill her. Get her to La Push." _But Jacob, what… _"Cam, trust me." I watched him for a moment then paced back to Anna. She climbed on as fast as she could and I was gone, sprinting faster than I'd ever gone before as I struggled to keep myself together. Jacob's thoughts were incoherent, and Sam was carrying him along with Seth and Quil, keeping him up as his right half seared with intense pain.

"Cam, are you okay?" I heard Anna, and shook my head sharply. I'd made it back to La Push and dropped her at Billy's house. The old man gave her a puzzled look, barely recognizing her, then he caught my glance, still a wolf as I stared intently at him. "Jake?" he whispered. I nodded, and he told Anna to go around the back into the shed, as Charlie was here and he didn't need to know she was, too. I ran back into the forest as they neared La Push. I caught them half way and took Quil's place on his right side. Sam and I essentially pressed hard against his healing form, hurting him in the process unfortunately, but hard enough so that we could run at an even pace with him held suspended between us. We returned him to the forest inside the house and I phased back, crouching in front of him as he stood, unable to phase back. "Jacob, listen to me." he looked into my eyes as I spoke. "You need to heal. We need to get you inside before Carlisle gets here, and he can only help when you're human. Your bones are setting incorrectly. Phase back." He let out a pained howl as his form came together, and I held him up instantly, somehow getting his shorts in place. I'd removed Sam's from his leg and put them on so I could carry him into the house, supporting his left side as I brought him into his room and set him gently on the bed as he yelled obscenities.

I waited with him as he gripped my hand with enough force to break it, clenching his teeth together as he fought the agony. I waited, and waited until finally the doctor vampire showed up, and I took the chance to depart. I wasn't sure how long it had been, but when I walked into the shed around back, it was to find Anna pacing. She looked up as I came in and ran straight into my arms. Her face was wet, her form was shaking and I'd barely had time to register that I still wasn't wearing a shirt. "I'm so glad you stayed." She whispered after a while, her sobs finally slowing. "If it had been only Edward… if you hadn't been there… oh my god." I shushed her quietly, bringing her to the couch I'd helped Jake bring in what seemed like in eternity ago. I sat down with her, but she just curled up into my lap, refusing to release me. "Is he okay?" she asked, looking up at me, her tear stained face bringing be out of my reverie. "Yes. The doctor is helping him now. He's healing very fast."

"Good." She waited for a second, staring into my eyes as I stared into hers. "Are _you_ okay?"

"I'm fine, why?"

"You looked hurt." She explained. "When he… when he hit you."

"I was acting. I wanted to catch him off guard, but Edward happened to catch him before I'd got my chance."

"You two were incredible. I didn't know you could move that fast, it was like watching a blur of white, like a tornado when you circled him."

I shrugged as she readjusted herself, laying out on the couch, resting her head in my lap. "Your tent…"

"I know."

"What will you do?"

"Hopefully bunk with Jake for a couple days until the end of the month, then I'll probably buy another." I shrugged. "Honestly, it doesn't matter."

"Did the other fight go okay?" she asked, looking up at me while I stared back at her. "Yes. It went without a hitch until Leah caught one of them hiding. She went after it on her own… it would have killed her but Jake shoved her out of the way, and it got him instead. Broke everything in the right side of his body."

"Not a great day for Jacob."

"No."

"Is Leah okay?"

"She's fine. Her pride's been wounded, and she feels guilty, but otherwise she's fine. Bitchy as usual."

"You don't like her?"

"Nah, I do. She's one of my favorites, she just has a lot of problems." We drifted off into silence, and she fell asleep shortly afterward, exhaustion taking over after the constant stress the last few days had been for her. I looked up at the sound of the door opening, and Sam strolled in, observing my position on the couch with a quirked eyebrow before he spoke. "You did well." he said. I shrugged. "You helped protect the tribe today, that's big. You took out a vampire on your own, too." I shrugged again. "What's your point, Sam?"

"My point is you're getting a bonus."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Anna had woken up, but she wasn't moving, pretending to be asleep so she could listen in on the conversation. "I'm talking about payment. Your tent is gone, you have nowhere to stay and you have no money to replace it, so the elders have decided to give you a bonus… and an advance." He tossed an envelope at me, and I caught it before it landed on Anna. I ripped it open and looked at the check inside. "This is a joke, you're not serious, right?"

"Nope. That's two months worth of payment right there, and you'll still get paid next month. They also found an apartment you can stay in. Rent's five hundred, all utilities paid. Consider it a benefit of being a part of the tribe."

"Sam, there's ten thousand dollars here… I can't accept this, it's too much."

"Oh, shut up. You worked you ass off, you deserve every bit of it. Besides, you need some help and we're pretty well off. Indians and there casino's, right?" he smirked, leaving me to my thoughts as I stared at the check signed Quil Ateara III. "This is insane."

"He's right, though. You deserve it." Anna mumbled, her eyes still closed. "Ten thousand dollars. What am I going to do with ten thousand dollars?"

"Buy clothes, you lost another pair today. Your last pair if I'm paying close enough attention," she was right. Sam's shorts are now the only thing I don't own. "And food. Lots and lots of food. A real bed with real pillows, a couch, chairs, normal furniture stuff…" she yawned, then sat up. "Maybe even shampoo and soap so you can take a real shower." She smirked. "Hey, I have soap. I even have deodorant." I pinched her arm and she slapped mine. "Will you take me home?" she asked, looking up at me hopefully. I nodded and left the garage before her to phase. She grabbed my envelope and climbed onto my back as I ran off toward her home.

* * *

_A while later._

_Jacob, where are you going? _I'd prompted him as he phased abruptly. Two images flickered into my mind: A wedding invitation and the image of himself he got ready to force himself into, the one void of Jacob, the one that was more wolf than man. I'd seen it before, it wasn't something I enjoyed bearing witness to. _So sorry. _Embry whispered, already moving to join him. _Wait for us, _Quil complained. _Leave me alone. _He snarled, pushing himself harder. I could catch him, I was fast enough now, faster than him, even faster than Leah. I'd come a long way since that fight. _You can't run from your problems, Jacob. I would know. _I warned him, coming to a stop in my patrol as I watched him go. _I don't need your god damned sympathy, Cameron. _He spat at me. _I'm not giving you any, I'm just telling the truth. You can run as far and fast as you want to, but they will catch up to you. You can't stay away forever. Embry, Quil, back off. _I ordered them. They slowed to a jog now. _Phase back. I'll pick you up, Embry. _Seth interjected as the other two faded out leaving the three of us. _Thank you. _Jake managed. _Come back when you can. _Sam replied before he left us.

_I'm always here, Jacob. If you need to talk to somebody, I will always be here. Remember that, brother. _

_I will. _

* * *

**_Post Chapter Note: I called this the end, but there's too much left for me to do with these characters. This story will continue until the end of Breaking Dawn, and this isn't even close to the end of Cameron's problems. He has a lot of healing left to do, and a lot more wounds to sustain before he can think about settling down. There's also that pesky little Alpha gene inside of him – how will that come into play when Jacob's finally surface? Who's pack will he join? Will he stay a member of the Uley pack, or join up with Jacob? Or will he split off into his own? _**

**_Side note, I hope you forgive me for the 'a while later' bit at the end, the timeline I'm following doesn't make record of when Jake receives the invitation, only that it happens between the 16_****_th_****_ of June and the 13_****_th_****_ of August. Assume it is enough time for Cam to move into his apartment, get some furniture and essentially spend all the money he got on clothes and food and whatnot. _**

**_Oh, and I'm not done with James yet. Just thought I'd warn you. ;]_**

**_-Vale_**


	22. Chapter 22 - Achievements

**Authors Note: Sorry for the lack of update yesterday, I got a 3ds and Pokemon X, so 16 hours of my life disappeared spontaneously yesterday. I didn't even realize it until mom was like "Did you update today?" So I had one of those "oh shit" moments. Here it is? xD **

* * *

"I think over again my small adventures when with the wind I drifted in my Kayak, and thought I was in danger. My fears, the small ones that seemed so big, for all the vital things I had to get and to reach and yet there is only one great thing, the only thing: To live and see the great day that dawns, and the light that fills the world."

-Inuit Song

* * *

"No, Bella. I'm sorry, but he's not coming home." I'd answered her question before she'd even spoke it. She was pestering Seth and I almost nonstop now, and it was beginning to drive me crazy. "I just can't help wishing…" she trailed off, and I sighed. "I know. I miss him, too. We all do."

"Thanks for putting up with me," she'd started but I cut her off. "Seriously, don't worry about it. I understand completely. You're worried, especially after his extremely abrupt departure. It's not your fault, Bella."

"Thanks, Cam…" I hung up a short while later and collapsed back into the mattress, extremely tired. I'd started covering Jake's shifts, swapping doubles with Seth every other day. I'd take two while he took one, then he'd take two while I took one. We were beyond exhausted, but there was something to be said for coordinating with one kid for so long; he grew on you. Seth had become one of my best friends in an impossibly short amount of time. The happiness and serenity that seemed to radiate from him was inspiring and helpful at the same time, the kid was always smiling and it renewed my hope in the human race. Whether he was depressed or not and he definitely was some days, he always fought through it. He missed his father desperately. I knew the feeling.

My phone buzzed again. I answered before it had rang a second time, greeting the voice on the other end with a "Whaaat."

"Did I wake you up?" The instant I heard her voice, it was like somebody pulled at the little puppet strings holding me up, breathing life into me as my exhaustion faded ever so slightly. "Nah, your sister did that for you." I replied. She sighed and apologized, but I just laughed. "Works over. Is it cool if I come over?"

"Do you really have to ask me that question?"

"I guess not. See you in twenty." She hung up and I set about getting cleaned up. It had been an entire two months since the fight in the clearing, and I'd changed in many ways. For one, I was officially the largest wolf in the pack. I was also stronger and faster than the rest of them, which was reason enough for Leah to despise me. It probably didn't help that I was pretty close friends with Sam, now.

The apartment the Elders had found for me had been a big break for me. It was a two bed one bath with a pretty small layout, but it was more than big enough for me and whatever member of the pack randomly decided to stay over. Anna spent more nights here than she did at her own house, though our relationship had stayed pretty much the same as before, only much stronger. We weren't doing anything physical yet, she'd made it very clear that I would have to offer her a ring before we got anywhere close to that. I couldn't say I was entirely repulsed by the idea; it gave me time to make some headway on my own issues and figure out the path I wanted to take with my own life.

The apartment was very simple. Beige carpet stretched between eggshell white walls in a floor plan that was easy to memorize. The entry way was a long hallway, breaking off at the end to the right into a large room. The living room encompassed the left side while the bedrooms were to the right, separated by a wall. The wall directly in front of the entrance had another door that lead to the bathroom, and to the left of it was an opening to my kitchen. Tiled flooring, standard wooden counter spaces with laminate counter top colored like a dark stone. The walls were a dark orange color, and the cabinet space stretched along the roof over every surface, aside from the black oven and refrigerator. It was small, cramped at times, but it was a home. A true home, my first home. The first night I'd moved in, the entire pack had, somehow, squeezed themselves into the place. I almost got kicked out of the building that day. Ever since, I've been alone here maybe two out of seven nights in the week. Seth would come over, Embry, Quil when he had Clair so he could keep her in a place that was safe for her, Sam every once in a while and of course Anna.

I showered, dressed myself in clothing that I hadn't been wearing over and over again for months on end, then moved to the kitchen to make breakfast. I'd timed it perfectly, because just as I finished rolling up the breakfast burritos, Anna knocked once then opened the door. I listened to her stride down the hallway and into the kitchen where she dropped her keys on the counter and kissed my right shoulder blade, unphased by the fact that I wasn't wearing a shirt because I rarely did nowadays. "How was work?" I asked, turning to hand her a plate. She took it and followed me to the table left of the entryway, setting her plate down on the far end of the round oak surface while she sat. "Typical. Exhausting. What about you?" she asked, referring to last night's double. "I just looked at her, and she smiled at my expression. My eyes were baggy with dark rims underneath them, my hair was a mess and I looked incredibly exhausted. I felt the same way. "Aren't Collin and Brady old enough to help you guys out?"

"Yes, but this is something Seth and I took up, we can't force it on anybody else. It's really not that big of a deal, I'm making better money this way anyways." I smirked, setting to eating one of my six burritos. "It doesn't make sense. You guys had shifts figured out when it was just the eight of you. Now there's one extra, shouldn't that extra guy be able to take over Jakes shift?"

"Normally it would work like that, but Jake was running a lot longer than the rest of us. His schedule was erratic, he would be off and on whenever Sam needed him to be. He worked two times as hard as the rest of us, so we have two times the work to deal with. It's volunteer stuff, Seth and I keep up pretty well."

"Doesn't he feel bad that he's making you guys do so much?" she wondered, frowning at me.

"Well he's trying to keep himself away from himself. He's letting his mind go wolf, so he thinks a lot less often than the rest of us do. He communicates every once in a while, replying to questions if we ask them enough. He still feels, so when he found out about Bella checking up on him, that got him nice and wound up, but he's very good at composing himself."

We sat through the rest of our meal in silence before moving to the living room, laying out on the couch like we had months ago, her back rested against my chest as we watched the T.V. Somewhere between the first commercial break, I'd apparently fallen asleep, only to be woken up a few hours later by a howl. Anna hadn't heard it, apparently she had fallen asleep too, so I picked her up carefully and brought her to my bed where I lay her down before running outside to shift. _Why. _Was all I thought when I phased, encountering Seth's thoughts, just as groggy as mine, though he wasn't even close to the end of his shift yet. _Jake. _He replied. I caught his thoughts instantly, forever faded into the background of whatever conversation we happened to be having at the time. They were a little more coherent this time though as he moved with purpose to us. _Dude, what are you doing? _I called out. He didn't answer immediately, so I growled. I was not in the mood for the silent treatment. I'd been forced to wake up _again_, and even worse than that I'd been forced to leave Anna alone in the apartment when we were supposed to be spending some time together. We very rarely got the opportunity to just hang out during the day, so I was pretty keen on not wasting my time with nothingness.

_Alright, melodramatic. _He chuckled. It was the first time I'd heard it in months, but it felt like it hadn't even been a day. _I've decided to go to the wedding. It's tomorrow. _I looked at his position, figured it in with mine and sighed; he was a long way out. He'd make it just barely in time if he ran as fast as possible for the next twenty plus hours. Then again, with his diet, he had the energy to spend. Nothing but raw meat. Protein. _Glad to hear it. Pop by when you get here, I'll lend you some clothes. _

_Yeah, you owe me anyways. _

_That I do. _I nudged Seth, told him to get back to work. He replied with a very exaggerated groan. I phased and walked back into the apartment, finding Anna standing at the doorway to the bedroom. "Jake's coming back." I explained, wiping her inquisitive expression away as she smiled. "Don't tell Bella. It'll be a surprise I guess."

"Awesome!" She was beaming. "Did you-"

"Yes, I got the tuxedo." I interrupted her. Bella had asked me to come, and Anna was insisting on my looking the part. She wanted a dance, which meant I had to learn how to dance. The sad part was the only person who'd been able to teach me was Sam, and I'd had to endure the teasing of the entire pack for the last month, but I did it. She had no idea.

* * *

"Well the good news is we don't all have to be there, just a couple of us." Sam said later that night while Emily placed a steak on my plate. "Cam, you're going already, Seth as well." the two of us nodded, sitting beside each other. "I know you're not going to miss the chance to see him," he looked at Embry and Quil who smiled back at him. "Leah doesn't care," she wasn't present at the table. She never was. "I'll be close by if something happens, and once all is said and done, the rest of you will finish up patrol. Cameron will dance with his lady, Bella will be married to her leach. A job well done on all fronts. This shouldn't go without a hitch, especially with you there." He pointed his fork at me. I'd taken up Jake's position as 'Beta' while he was gone, and Jared had reassumed my actual post in my absence. "Just make sure it's private. Wait around in case something happens, you know the drill." And with that, we slipped into silence as we ate. We'd eat dinner at Sam and Emily's once a week, use it as time to plan stuff, talk about patrol schedules and whatnot, and just have a good time and night off. I'd started depending on these days off as of late. When we had them I would eat dinner, go home and sleep the entire day away. Unfortunately tomorrow I had a wedding to attend.

At least I'll get to see Anna all dressed up, it was a sight I'd seen only the one time, and she had been irritated at me at the time, so it spoiled the fun of it somewhat. Tomorrow would be different. Her sister was getting married. I'd never seen her this happy before. She'd been coordinating with Alice and Renee whenever she wasn't at work or asleep, often times over the phone at my apartment. I'd been asked for my opinion on so many different things I'd lost count after seventy. That was a month ago. It made no difference, Alice was like a force of nature with this thing. She'd fixed the entire wedding up, fixed up Anna's dress which I wasn't allowed to see, and even picked my outfit for me. Being over in the vamp den to get my clothes poked at with needles hadn't been fun, but she made it easy with her speed and accuracy. I'd found myself starting to like a lot of the Cullens. Jasper seemed very interested in my self control, Edward was a pretty close friend to me now, I hated Rosalie, Emmet was indifferent if not a little interested in a fight with me, Carlisle and Esme were unnaturally kind as always, and Alice found me and Seth to be not-as-disgusting as my brothers.

Anna had been right, they were very humane.

* * *

**Edit: I proofreaded this chapter some more, I'd wrote the whole thing then just posted it without going through and fixing anything. That was stupid of me, sorry if it deterred from the chapters quality any. **

**-Vale**


	23. Chapter 23 - Departure

**Authors Note: I'm trying to maintain a pretty large average of words per chapter now, and this ends up taking a lot of my time away from me during the day, and it hasn't helped that my sleeping schedule resembles a cat more than it does a human. Naturally my being half-asleep while writing these deters from the quality and that irritates me to no end, so I'm considering going to once every two days again like I used to do when I first started the fic. My sleeping schedule is (hopefully) back on track so I might be able to keep up with it daily, but I'm not making any promises here. Sorry, I know some of you wish I could update more often and this is the exact opposite, but I spend ridiculous amounts of time fixing every chapter before I post it, especially when I'm tired.**

**This isn't a guarantee, more a warning. Hope you forgive me. /3**

* * *

"This is retarded."

"Shut up, you look fine."

"No, this is dumb. I cannot believe I agreed to this."

"Seriously, you're fine. She'll love it and blah blah blah, now shut up, undress and phase, we're supposed to be there soon."

"I'm not phasing. Not a chance. Alice spent way too long getting this thing perfect, if I fold it up and tie it to my leg she will literally have my head."

"What are you going to do, then?"

I looked at Seth, standing next to me in the now cramped bathroom, my lips pursed. "I'm taking his bike."

"That'll make him happy."

"He doesn't get to care about that, he left his stuff behind anyways, at least it'll see some damn use when I get to it."

"Fair point," a horn sounded out front. "That's my queue. I'll see you there." He waved as he ran out of the house.

I ran inhumanly fast to Billy's, past the house and into the backyard. I pulled the bike out front just in time to see Seth and sue arrive. "How the hell?" Seth said aloud, earning a smack from his mom on the arm. "Shortcut. Did I ruin anything?"

"No dear, you look fine." Sue answered before Seth could and I exhaled a large amount of air I hadn't realized I'd been holding in. "No leaves?"

"Nope. Go with Seth and help Billy, would you?"

"I'm a cripple, not an invalid." Billy's grizzled voice answered from the doorway as he rolled down the little ramp Jake had made. "Oh really? You got the car, or do you want help for that?" he narrowed his eyes at me and I chuckled, helping him into the front seat while Seth stowed his wheelchair in the back of the car. I started the bike after some effort and followed them down the road, trailing behind them easily as I inspected my clothing, finding nothing wrong with it in the slightest. It hadn't rained yesterday, so there were no puddles worry about, and the drive from the reservation to the Cullens wasn't very long, so the clothes would be fine provided I didn't do something to ruin them like wreck the bike.

I'd phased before Seth got here and showed Jake where the apartment was as well as where I left the spare key. He would be grabbing a pair of clothes when he got here, then he'd head over to catch her somewhere in the reception. Probably after the obligated dances with Edward, his family and then her father. I'd probably be forced into one of those as well, unfortunately. I'd have to find a way to slip out unnoticed when Jake got there. Thankfully my hearing had matured along with the rest of my body, so I could hear even better than I had before.

We continued to drive for a while until finally the trees shifted and I saw the first signs of Anna's handiwork; the lights wrapped intricately through the trees while we drove through and I couldn't help but be amazed by Alice's incredibly well-done job. "Alice, you're insane." I spoke aloud, knowing she'd more than likely hear me from here. I pulled to a stop near the garage and tucked the bike inside to keep it out of the way, then headed around front to walk in with the others. "This is going to be a long night." I sighed, leading them in. "You didn't ruin your tux, good." Alice appraised me before greeting the others behind me and disappearing upstairs to finish up Bella's dress and makeup and whatnot. My mind had been derailed as I caught sight of Anna.

She stood, watching over the party with a smile on her face. She had helped with the entire thing, so it made sense. I made my way over to her quietly and moved to stand beside her, leaning against the wall there. "You look beautiful." I stated as she noticed me. "You don't look to shabby yourself." She appraised me. "I look like I don't belong in a suit, that's what I look like."

"Well you definitely look better without a shirt, I can't argue that." I laughed, keeping my tone quiet. Guests were arriving now. "You really do look nice, except…" she straightened my collar, then my tie. "There, perfect."

"You're such a girl."

"You love me and you know it."

"That I do." I answered, returning her smile. "You really do look amazing. Alice?"

"Is that a question I really need to answer?" I shook my head. "Guess not."

She was dressed in the same dress Alice was with some minor changes. The color was a sight shade darker, it was cut a little lower and it hugged her form perfectly, drawing not only my eyes, but a great deal of the eyes from the rest of the boys here. Part of me wanted to growl at each one for looking at her, but the other more logical part of me was glad she was here with _me._

We moved to our seats, her in the front me a few rows behind her beside Seth, Sue and Billy just in time for the music to start.

I ended up helping out with the guests, showing them to their seats and introducing them to the hosts. After all was said and done, everybody was sat neatly in their seat waiting patiently for Bella to descent the stairs.

* * *

The ceremony had transitioned flawlessly into the reception, and Edward were just finishing up their first dance when I walked forward with Anna, catching them before they got split in however many different ways. "Congratulations, you guys." I shook hands with Edward, hugged Bella lightly and released them both to their respective dances with friends and family. Anna caught me as the song transitioned, and we started our dance slowly before scaling it up along with the song, moving perfectly in sync with the music as she watched my face, surprised. The song crawled to a stop and she stood still, resting her head against me as she laughed. "Where did you learn to dance?" She asked, impressed. "Sam taught me when I had free time."

"You're never going to live it down, are you?"

"Nope. It was worth it, though." I pressed a kiss into her temple before stiffening. I could hear rustling outside, and the smell that accompanied it was one I hadn't experienced in far too long. "C'mon." I started dancing with her again, but as we did I moved us backward discreately, shifting through people with ease before we reached the back door at the same time as Edward and Bella. _Give me a minute, please? _He nodded toward me and I took Anna outside to catch Jake as he stepped out of the trees in the nicest clothing I had besides what I was wearing. A long black shirt, black dress pants and a nice pair of sneakers. "Jake, it's so good to see you again." Anna pulled him into a hug, which he returned. "You, too. Both of you." He looked at me, now level with him, and nodded. Anna released him and stepped back inside as I moved toward the door again, knocked once and made myself scarce as Bella and Edward stepped out.

It had gone pretty much as I expected. They'd talked, she'd sobbed and he smiled a lot despite how painful I was sure this was for him. Edward had disappeared to my side, watching discretely beside me as they danced. "His thoughts?" I whispered. "He appears to be fine, he's composed. I can tell this hurts him a great deal… Maybe he shouldn't have come."

"No, he should have, at the very least to show her off, to be a friend instead of her pursuer."

"I suppose. There's only the five of you here? Why not the rest?"

"We're the closest to him. They're here to see him more than to restrain him. Collin and Brady barely know him, Leah would rather jump off a building than come here, and she barely cares that Jacob's even here. She likes him, understands what it's like having the one you love so close and yet so far, but that's the extent of it."

"She's quite complicated, isn't she?"

"She is, but with good reason. It's hard being attached to somebody you so desperately wish you could get away from. It destroys her."

"You have no clue of she can imprint?"

"We can't be sure. She's the only one like us, but presumably it's possible. For her sake, I-" I felt it in the air before it happened physically. I sprinted forward beside Edward and put my hands on his shoulder. "C'mon Jake, let go." He wasn't moving, his arms shaking as he stared wide eyed at her. "Jacob, you're going to hurt her. I need you to let her go."

"Now!" Edward snarled, trying to keep his cool as he stood behind Bella. His hands dropped as I wrapped my arm around his waist and pulled him back as gently as I could. "Come on dude, lets go." Seth was saying, pushing him lightly. "I'll kill you." Jake's voice was low as he stared at Edward. "I'll kill you myself! I'll do it now!" Sam was there suddenly, growling. "Seth I need you to phase. Now." he didn't even bother to take his clothes off, he just stepped back and burst out of them, standing tall and gangly in front of us as I pulled continuously. "Jacob." I spoke calmly. It wasn't working. "JACOB." I yelled, finally catching his attention as he stopped fighting me. "Let me go, Cameron. Let me go!"

"Guys, back off a second." I yanked backward as the others backed off and Jake nearly fell over as I pulled along with Sam pushing, his head pressed against Jacob's abdomen as we brought him into the trees, where I let the wolves take over so I could phase, yanking my tux off as fast as possible and tossing them aside before I stood behind them, stalking forward as Jake growled. I snarled, the sound echoing off the trees loud enough for him to get the point. He phased quickly and violently as the others backed off, and he made to walk through the trees when I slammed into his side, pinning him against a tree as Sam spoke, his voice ringing out through the group, forcing Jacob to stop fighting me. He collapsed to the floor, overwhelmed in the onslaught that was the decree of our alpha. _You __**will not fight him. **_He ordered, forcing Jacob to relax as his thoughts turned anguished, tortured. The images that permeated his mind disgusted me, but I knew it was only because of what she'd told him. Edward and Bella would have a real honeymoon, including everything a honeymoon should if it were between two normal humans. The thoughts were tearing at him worse than anything else had. I moved to lay in front of him, leveling my eyes with his as I lay down in front of him.

_I need you to calm down, Jacob. Let me help you._

_He's going to- they're going to-_ _he'll kill her… I have to stop him, LET ME STOP HIM! _He screamed mentally at Sam.

_You can't do that, we both know it. _

_I don't care, let them kill me. I have to try. _

_No. _My voice had echoed, exactly like Sam's had when he gave an order we couldn't refuse. It was faint, but we all noticed it, and for a brief second I was scared what it meant, but it didn't matter. Jake had gone still, eyes closed as he finally came down, the shaking stopping as he fought tears. _Let's go. _I stood and he stood with me, staring into my eyes with an anguished expression as we ran, away from the house, away from the smell and away from Bella.

We walked for another hour before he finally calmed down enough to think coherent thoughts. The others were there in the background, but they were all moving back to La Push while Seth stayed behind, gathering the remains of his clothes in his teeth with a sigh. _Why didn't you let me fight? _

_Because unlike you, I value your life. So do the rest of us. We care too much to let you throw your life away like that. You don't know that it'll go wrong, he's more than careful enough. _

_You would know, wouldn't you? Best friends with the damned leach. You and Seth. It's disgusting._

_Go home, Jacob. I mean home, too. Not back to the forests. _

_Are you going to order me like he did? Apparently you're good enough for that now, too. Should I call you friend or sir, now?_

_I'm asking you. Please, Jacob. _

The smell changed ever so slightly, but it was noticeable. The clean air had been disturbed as a car drove by, the smell of vampire following it. Jacob was gone before I'd even had the chance to look over at him, following the car just barely out of sight, following it a short ways. I caught up quickly, but by the time I fell into place beside him he was slowing, throwing his head back as he howled the loudest most broken howl I'd ever heard. It pierced through me like a javelin as I fought the strange urge to echo it. _I'm so sorry, Jacob. _

_So am I. _


	24. Chapter 24 - Proposition

**Authors Note: I'm so sorry for the update hiccup yesterday, I don't really have much of an excuse other than "woops". I'll post another chapter tomorrow to compensate. Sorry again. Chapter Twenty Four, comin' at 'ya!**

* * *

"I'm sorry for ditching you." I stood in front of Anna, my heart heavy as I looked at her. There was no anger in her face, only concern. She could tell there was something wrong. "What happened?"

"Jake." She sighed slowly, looking up at the night sky as if it explained everything. The silence was disturbed by footsteps. I turned to watch the leader, Carlisle make his way to us at human pace.

"There a problem, Doc?"

"No, of course not. I just wished to make sure… rather, to ask whether or not Jacob is okay after what happened tonight."

"I don't think he'll ever be okay. She's done too much to him, not intentionally" I cut him off when his look soured ever so slightly. "I know she would never be so heartless as to do this intentionally, and I'm sure she's killing herself internally over this," he nodded and I sighed again. "But it's too much for him. To have her want him close, but never close enough. To have feelings for him, but to know that they aren't enough to change anything, that he isn't enough for her. It tears at him in little pieces every day, but when they left, it's like a part of him died."

"I am very sorry for this." he slipped into silence for a long moment, his gaze shifting to the blades of grass at my feet as he stilled. "I had a question actually, a different question, more specifically about your kind. Imprinting." He looked between us, his expression curious but harmless. Anna eyed me warily, but I just shrugged. "Can you be more specific? What do you want to know?"

"You say a part of him has died… do you think that imprinting on somebody is strong

enough to eliminate these feelings for Bella? The heartbreak he feels after this?"

"Absolutely. I'll try to explain this in a way you can understand it… Edward told me once that changes for your kind are very few and far between, and that they change you forever, completely and irreparably. Is that right?" he nodded. "Okay, then I want you to imagine your love for Esme. That intense feeling you got every time you looked at her in those early days when it was new and at its most intense. That's what it feels like every single day for me, every time I look at her, every time I think about her. It's always new.. When I first saw Anna after I had phased for the first time, the feeling was an intense pull toward her. Gravity shifted, my life anchored to her and now she occupies almost every single one of my thoughts. It's like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. If Jacob imprinted, Bella would become secondary. Still his best friend, still the closest person to him, but secondary to her. Everything is secondary. His life, his happiness… my life, our pack's life… everything comes after her and her needs."

"And the odds of that happening, what are they?"

"Impossible to tell. Including myself, four of us have imprinted. Quil is the odd one because his imprint is an infant, but the feeling isn't love at first sight, it's more that he'll become whatever she needs. Friend, brother, father, guardian, boyfriend, husband… whatever she needs, he will be that for her. But it's random, it doesn't happen at specific times in our lives, and we can't control it. Believe me, if we could control it Jacob would have imprinted on Bella already. He's tried so many times to force it, but it just doesn't work like that."

"I see. Thank you very much, that explains quite a bit. It does open up a lot of questions though. I hope that chance comes for him very much. I hope you will believe me when I say that I truly do want that happiness for him, despite how he feels for my daughter in law."

"I do. You're good people here, I see that. Everybody else will too, even Jacob. Some day." He smiled at the both of us, thanked me, then disappeared back into the house. "I didn't know all that." Anna was staring wide eyed at me, now. "What? I told you that stuff the first time I told you I'd imprinted on you."

"No, I don't mean the whole becoming whatever I need thing, I mean your feelings for me, how it felt when you first saw me… like gravity shifted. Is that for real?"

"Yeah. Every word of it."

"That's pretty incredible. It wasn't as intense, but there was a serious pull toward you. I wonder why that is…"

"Well I'm the supernatural one, that probably has a lot to do with it."

"Probably. I feel that way now, though. That's for sure. You're certainly an anchor for me, stronger than anybody else ever has been, even my mom."

"I… thank you, Anna. That means more to me than I can tell you."

* * *

We'd grabbed Jake's bike from the garage, bid a farewell to Esme and Carlisle then made for Forks. "I'll see you tomorrow." I'd said before kissing her through the driver window of her car, then followed her home, making sure she got there safely before driving back to La Push. When I pulled up, I was greeted by the sight of Jacob sitting on the porch, staring out at the road, his face blank and emotionless. This is the Jacob I'd been seeing before he left, the reserved one that hid himself from himself. I drove around the house, dropped the bike inside his garage, then paced up to the porch, stopping in front of the ramp, watching him. "Do you want the other bike?" he said suddenly, jerking his head to the side yard. "She won't need it anymore, so you can have it."

"I don't care about the bike, Jake. Why are you still here? Before I phased out, you were thinking about leaving again. Why didn't you?" He stayed silent for a long moment, staring at my face as he contemplated his answer, his face unchanging. "I can't run from it this time. It won't work."

"Did it work the first time?"

"No, not really. But it helped. It's different this time, I can't stop thinking about it."

"Of course not." We lapsed into silence again. I'd moved to sit down on the wooded porch, kicking my leg up while my other stayed on the dirt. "My dad's happy to have me back." I nodded. "Are you guys?"

"Yup."

"Even though my head's gonna be bell to live in for the next who knows how long?"

"Yup." He sighed, dragging out the sound. "I'm going to bed. Get out of here, kid."

"Later, Jake."

* * *

"Look, I know he's back and all, but with the state he's in, it isn't a good idea to shrug all that responsibility back onto him right away, if ever. I'm not saying you and I need to keep up with the doubles, but our shifts definitely need to be longer than they were before."

"That just plain sucks. C'mon, why can't we just let it slide a little? You know you want to spend more time with your lady friend, huh?" Seth nudged Anna with his elbow, who was sitting beside him on the couch with a book in her lap. She smiled at his antics, but otherwise continued to read.

"Of course I do. Doesn't change the fact that we have responsibilities. It's really not that bad, Seth, you'll be working way shorter shifts. You'll be able to actually sleep for once."

"Yeah, I guess. I'd still rather shove off the extra work onto Collin or something." He said with a laugh. "How is he? You said you saw him last night… is he alright?"

"He's heartbroken, Seth. He'll be fine eventually, but for now he's pretty torn up." Seth drifted off into silence after that. I relaxed back into the recliner a short ways away from the couch, which was pushed up against the back wall in the living rom. "Have you heard from Bella at all?" I asked Anna. She folded the book shut after dog-earing the corner of the page she was on and shook her head. "Alice said they'd arrived, so they're fine."

"Good." I stifled a yawn as Seth stood and stretched. "I'm heading out. See you tonight. Bye, Anna."

"Bye, Seth thanks for coming over to see me." She waved, smiling. The door closed softly and she turned her smile to me. "I know I've said it before, but I really like him."

"Me too. He's got a good head on his shoulders, when it's not pressed to the door listening to our conversation." I heard him chuckle, then his footsteps sounded down the hallway and out of the building. He'd come over under the guise of wanting to say hi to Anna, but his motive had been clear when he asked me about our schedule. Sam had left it up to me to schedule patrols for the majority of the pack I was in command of regularly. The night shift, basically. Eight o'clock would come around and I would phase to catch the day guys before they went home. I'd head to every house, catch their attention with a howl, then the two of us would go about rousing the rest of them. In total, I was in command of myself, Seth, Quil, Embry and Brady. We'd essentially run ourselves dead until sunrise when the day crew would take over again. The system we had set up made sure that the boarder was being run every single minute of every single day. We left no openings.

"Any plans for today?" Anna asked, interrupting my thoughts. "I was gonna go check on Jake in after a while. Other than that, no."

"Good, because I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay, shoot."

"Keep in mind you can say no, it won't bother me in the least." She premised, making me shake my head. The idea that I would decline any favor she asked of be was ludicrous. I'd lasso the moon for her if she asked nicely. "Good to know. What's so bad that I would want to decline?"

"It's not bad, really. It's just… kind of a big step for us, for our relationship." She had my attention now. I eyed her curiously, my mind spinning in a hundred different directions as she picked at her jeans nervously. I let her do this for a full three minutes before I finally prompted her. "Anna, spit it out."

"I want to move in with you."

It was my turn to stay silent. I looked into her eyes, which refused to meet mine as she maintained her gaze at the floor, completely silent. "Of course you can move in." the relief spread across her face immediately, and I couldn't help but smile. "You're over here every day anyways, why would it be a problem?"

"I just wasn't sure if you wanted your personal space to stay your personal space or not."

"You're always welcome in my personal space." I smirked. She rolled her eyes and let out a relieved sigh. "Now the hard part."

"The hard part? What's the hard part?"

"Asking Charlie."

"Yeah, screw that noise, you can do that one."

"Oh, come on! I'll make sure his gun belt is hidden."

"Yeah, cause that'll stop him. We've been dating for two months now, why the hell would he be okay with how serious a decision this is?"

"Because he likes you. A lot." I couldn't deny that, I'd been out fishing with him and Billy every other weekend for the past two months. The only time he'd ever talked about Anna and I in this time is when he asked me if we were physically involved, to which I'd instantly replied 'No. She's very adamant on waiting until marriage, and I completely agree with her.' He'd gone silent after that, and stayed that way the remainder of the trip, but after that it was all smiles when I was around. "Enough to let you go? I don't think so. He loves you like a daughter."

"He let Bella go."

"Bella is married, and has been dating Edward for a year now and he wasn't happy with the speed that was progressing."

"Fair enough. He likes you more than Edward, though. You're a lot stronger looking than Edward, too." I snorted. He could rip me apart in my human form with barely any struggle.

"Which tells him you can protect me. He has no valid reasoning for saying no other than not wanting me to do this, and it isn't his choice to begin with."

"How do you figure?"

"He doesn't have custody, my father doesn't even have custody. I'm nineteen."

"Then I guess we're talking to Charlie."

"Thank you." She smiled, moving from her position on the couch to hug me.

"I'm gonna die."


	25. Chapter 25 - Assumptions

**Authors Note: I promised you a chapter yesterday and didn't follow through, so you're getting one tomorrow and the day after. I've been kind of busy with friend lately, that's the only excuse I've got for you. Sorry. We're getting right into the thick of things now. Things will get interesting soon, I've got some plans in the works. Hardships to come. **

**Chapter twenty five, comin' at 'ya!**

* * *

"You're serious about this?"

I sat across from Charlie in the rocking chair seated in the living room, glancing between Anna and him repeatedly. He didn't seem too angry at the idea, merely wary. "You guys are that serious already?" he looked at me now. "I'm not sure what you mean. We're moving in together, not getting married."

"No, but moving in together leads to… other things." He was starting to get flustered. I didn't want that. "Like I said, not getting married." I kept my gaze even with his, making a silent promise. "I love her." I told him plainly, earning a surprised look from Anna. She hadn't expected me to tell him that. "But I'm not ready for anything beyond this, yet. She knows that, I know that, you should know it too. My childhood wasn't very great, Charlie. I have a lot of problems that I need to get through before I settle down or get even remotely… physical. She's offered to help me with that, and having her live with me will help me more than I can tell you."

"Your step dad, right? You told me he was a jerk, but never anything else. Did he hit you?"

"Much worse. So much worse." Anna cut in when I didn't respond. He was silent for a long time, his hand stroking the stubble on his face as he thought. "This was never really my decision anyways. You can do what you want to, but I want you to at least consider the repercussions of this, what it could mean. You know what happened with Renee and I, Anna. We started too young, it burned hot and fast. I just want to make sure you don't lose yourself in this and end up regretting it. Bella and Edward are different. Bella's been more adult than a kid for as long as I can remember, I know she's ready for this, but you two I can't be sure about. There's somethin' about you guys, that's for sure. I just hope it's strong enough."

"We'll cross those bridges when we get to them. For now, I'm content with being in a simple relationship for the moment. Are you?" I looked at Anna, catching her eyes as she nodded. "I've thought about all of this already. I'm content with how we are now. When it escalates, then so be it. We can roll with the punches." I was briefly appreciative of her choice of words. 'When it escalates', not if. Charlie didn't seem to notice. "Alright kid. I'll always be here, you know that." They both stood and hugged briefly before breaking apart, Charlie clearing his throat. The man did not like expressing emotion. "You know the drill."

"Make her cry and you'll kill me. I got it."

"Good. Now be a gentleman and help her with her things. I have to get down to the station. Promise you'll visit an old man every once in a while, huh?" he looked at Anna, earning a nod as she suppressed tears. "I will. You'll always be my second dad." He smiled, grabbed his things and left us alone. "That went well." I blurted out after a moment

"I'll say. I guess we're really doing this, then."

"Yep. Wanna start packing your stuff now?"

"I guess. All I have to do is get all the paintings, the rest of it can stay here."

"True. Your easel's already at my-our house." I corrected myself, and she smiled the widest smile I'd ever seen on her. "C'mon." I threw my arm around her shoulder as we walked upstairs to her room.

* * *

"Thanks, Sam."

"No problem. I'm glad to see you guys are taking the next step." I'd called Sam and asked him to bring his truck so that we could transport her stuff – there were just too many here to carry in the back of her car. We'd end up making ten trips or more. "Thanks."

I rode in the back of the truck with all the things while Sam drove, Anna following behind us in her car. We'd tied everything down, but there was no way I was taking any chances with this stuff. It was all too good to be ruined, there were too many memories in these piles. There were stacks of paintings, two large duffel bags full of clothes, several pairs of shoes and another bag of toiletries and whatnot. Anna had her unnecessary makeup bags in the car with her, Sam had a couple other things up in the passenger seat. We'd ended up leaving behind her bed, the dressings that went with it, and a painting that Anna had finished last night of Bella and Edward stood side by side in a meadow I didn't recognize. It was supposed to be their wedding gift, but she had barely finished it in time. She would give it to them when they got home. As it turned out, she'd been working on it for quite some time; I had seen the beginnings of it when she first showed me her room. Two sets of eyes, golden in hue. Edwards eyes. She'd captured them with incredibly detail, flawlessly painting them just like Bella's. Both of their faces were utterly life-like.

We slowed as we came up on the building, and Sam pulled to a stop in front of my building, Anna parking behind him shortly after. I hopped out of the back, and reached in to grab a stack of paintings. Sam grabbed another and we set to moving everything in. After all was said and done, the second bedroom was filled with all of her painting things while her clothes and other things filled the closet in the room I would now consider ours whether she slept there or not. I'd insisted on hanging up several of them around the house, and had just finished setting the one she'd done of me in the entryway when Sam announced he would be leaving. I thanked him for the help, promised him lunch at some point and returned to the painting room where Anna stood holding one of her mothers, the last one she'd done, the wolf.

"Do you want to put that one up somewhere?"

She shook her head, setting it so that it was propped against the wall on top of the dresser in there. "No. It hurts to look at it too often." She admitted, crossing the room toward me, letting me pull her into a hug.

"Thank you for letting me stay here." She said after a while, standing there unmoving with her head rested against me. "This is the first time I've felt like I belong somewhere since then."

* * *

The two weeks that followed differed very little from the norm that was my life before. I would go on patrol every night, often times in the morning as well whenever Sam needed me for something, I would come home and help Anna cook for the both of us despite her protest, spend the rest of the day either chatting with her while watching her paint or sketching stuff on an art pad. I wasn't good, but I could tell that having somebody she could do what she loved with is something she missed more than she could say, so when I would sit next to her, drawing while she painted, it usually made her extremely happy, which as a result made me extremely happy. She'd taken to watching me draw, which was a terrible idea because most of the things I could draw were trees, cars and oblong misshaped faces and animals.

I enjoyed myself quite a bit, except when she started painting me while I drew, which just felt weird on several different levels I didn't bother conveying any further than a look that said 'really?' to which she responded "Deal with it. This one's going in the bedroom." She'd come with me to every dinner we'd had over at Sam's, and it felt good to have Jacob a part of that again. Anna loved how dynamic the pack was, how close every single one of us was. She liked seeing me laughing and happy with them, I guessed. She adored Emily. Jacob put on his bravest face and tried to laugh along with the rest of us, but there was only so much he could manage.

Jake was improving only slightly. It certainly hadn't helped when Paul imprinted on his sister when she'd come down for the week, so now those two were spending every day together, typically at Jake's house, which pissed him off. He and Paul scrapped a lot, mostly playing around but playing around for us tended to be about five times as violent as playing around would be for others. Blood tended to get involved a lot. So if Rachel would come home to find even the smallest drop of blood on Paul's shirt, he would hear about it for the next two hours. He'd taken to coming over during the day to get some kind of reprieve from everybody simply because he knew I would stay quiet and leave him to his own devices, which usually ended up being watching T.V on my couch and falling asleep on my couch. I was more than happy to have him, and Anna felt the same, though she'd voiced her worry that her being around him wasn't a good idea, which he rolled his eyes at, then told her to be quiet.

Alice had ended up sending Anna a text message saying the two of them would be there for a little while longer, and that she would let her know when they would be back. Jacob suspected she was already turned, though he did not say any of this to Anna at my request. We would usually talk about it when Anna was at work, discussing and often debating it. He was convinced that she was either turned or dead, and knew what breaking that treaty meant, though the rest of us were willing to overlook it based on her very informed decision, regardless of how much it disgusted us. Everything changed for him when we were running patrol as a group that day.

"I'll talk to you later." I'd said, kissing her quickly before I ran outside to answer the howl I'd heard from the forest. I phased quickly, discovering almost everybody already phased. Leah and Jacob teased each other slightly before Sam cut them off and we made to meet up where Sam, Brady and Collin were. _Where's Quil and Jared? _Sam asked, thinking toward Jacob. _Quil's got Claire. He's taking her to the Clearwaters'._

_Good, sue will take her. _

_Jared was going to Kim's. _Embry chipped in. _Good chance he didn't hear you. _

A collective irritated grumble went through the rest of them, I merely sighed along with them. Jared would be re-living what he and Kim had been doing in his memory when he joined up. Nobody was looking forward to it. Sam let out another howl, and I picked up the pace exponentially.

_Well he's just going to have to catch up later. We're not waiting all day for him. _

_'Sup, boss? _Paul queried, trotting to a stop in the circle. I felt their thoughts flicker to Jacob, and instantly I was assuming the worst. So was he. _We need to talk. Something happened. Seth, tell them what you heard. _

_Charlie called around 'till he found Billy at my house. _

_Yeah, I talked to him, _Paul added.

_So he's all flipped out. I guess Edward and Bella got home last week, and… _I felt Jacob un-tense. I kicked it up further, pushing myself faster.

_Yeah, bro and here's the bad news. Charlie talked to her, said she sounded bad. She told him she's sick. Carlisle got on and told Charlie that Bella picked up some rare disease in South America. Said she's quarantined. Charlie's going crazy, 'cause that means he's not allowed to see her. He says he doesn't care if he gets sick, but Carlisle wont bend. No visitors. Told Charlie it was pretty serious, but that he's doing everything he can. Charlie's been stewing about it for days, but he only called Billy now. He said she sounded worse today. _

We all fell silent at his words. We all understood what this would mean; she would die of this disease. Jake's thoughts instantly turned toward how her body would change, how she would look different, wondering if they would let Charlie see the perfectly pale corpse, then just dig her out later. Would she be able to keep herself from drinking his blood? Leah and Jake entered the clearing, followed shortly afterward by me. I came to a slow trot and moved into my original place as the third, no longer second. I was fine with this. _Well? What are we waiting for? _

_The treaty isn't necessarily broken, Jake._ I interjected, voicing the others thoughts.

_OH PLEASE! You're trying to tell me you think she's really sick? What are the odds of that?_

_Okay, so the circumstantial evidence is pretty strong. Still… Jacob. Are you sure you want to do this? Is it really the right thing? We all know what she wanted._

_The treaty doesn't mention anything about victim preference, Sam! _

_Is she really a victim? _I asked.

_Yes! _

_Jake, they aren't our enemies. _Seth said.

_Shut up, kid! Just 'cause you've got some kind of sick hero worship thing going on with that bloodsucker, it doesn't change the law. We take them out. I don't care if you had fun fighting alongside Edward Cullen once upon a time._

_So what are you gonna do when Bella fights with them, Jake? Huh? _He demanded.

_She's not Bella anymore. _

_You gonna be the one to take her down? _

He winced at that one, the thought sending a painful spike through his body. _No. You're not. So, what? You gonna make one of us do it? And then hold a grudge against whoever it was? _

_I wouldn't…_

_Sure you won't. You're not ready for this fight, Jacob. _

Jake snarled, crouching as he glared daggers at Seth across from him in the circle.

_Jacob! Seth, shut up for a second. _Sam cautioned.

_Dang, what did I miss? _Quil interjected, his thoughts colored with surprise and worry. _Heard about Charlie's call…_

_We're getting ready to go. Why don't you swing by Kim's and drag Jared out with your teeth? We're going to need everyone._

_Come straight here, Quil. We haven't decided anything yet._

_Jacob, I have to think about what's best for this pack. I have to choose the course that protects you all best. Times have changed since our ancestors made that treaty. I… well, I don't honestly believe that the Cullens are a danger to us. And we know that they will not be here much longer. Surely once they've told their story, they will disappear. Our lives can return to normal._

_Normal? _

_If we challenge them, Jacob, they will defend themselves well. _

_Are you afraid?_

_Are you so ready to lose a brother? Or a sister?_

_I'm not afraid to die._

_I know that, Jacob. It's one reason I question your judgement on this. _

_Do you intend to honor our fathers treaty or not?_

_I honor my pack. I do what's best for them._

_Coward. _

_Enough, Jacob. _I interjected, cutting over Sam's snarl. _Seth is right. You aren't ready for this. Would you have me come with you in this? And if we do win, what then? I go home and tell Anna 'hey, you know the woman you consider a sister? Yeah I had to help murder her and her entire family because she was a vampire. Please forgive me?' Not a damn chance. I don't care if you guys agree or not, I refuse to do this outright. It isn't right. They are vampires, but they're also human, more human than most humans. They're good people, they don't deserve this. Bella made her choice, she knew her life would end this way, she chose it a year ago. They're married. Like it or not, this is a step they can make on their own._

_You're overruled, Jacob. The pack is not attacking the Cullens without provocation. The spirit of the treaty remains. They are not a danger to our people, nor are they a danger to the people of Forks. Bella Swan made an informed choice, and we are not going to punish her our former allies for her choice._

_Hear, hear. _Seth said. I noticed Jacob's thoughts before the rest of them, and left the group with him, trotting after him as he spoke to the rest of them. _Don't follow me, Cameron. _

_I'm not letting you leave again._

_Is that a challenge? _

_Are you going to turn it into one? I'm not afraid of you, Jacob. I will fight you if it means keeping you from ruining your life. _

_We don't want you to leave, Jake. _Sam thought, his voice softer.

_So make me stay. Take away my will. Make me a slave. Hell, he can do it. _He glared at me. 

_You know I won't do that. _He said, ignoring the last part of the sentence. 

_Then there's nothing more to say. _He started to run, and I started after him when Sam caught me, ordered me to stop. I listened, but I didn't rejoin the circle. _I'm going home, too. Anna needs to know. If something happens, howl or call. _

_Cameron, we need you here._

_My imprints cousin could be dying or dead. She has a right to know, Sam._

_Fine. Make it quick, we have more to talk about._

_Thirty minutes is all I need. _


	26. Chapter 26 - Alpha

"Did Carlisle say exactly what she has?"

"No, he just said she was very sick, it was serious enough for him to quarantine her."

"You don't think Edward…"

"No, he said she talked to him at some point, she's still alive."

"Do you think she's still human?" I was shocked to hear that one. I gave her a wary look, but she shrugged. "That girl tells me everything, I know what she wanted, she warned me about it before they got married."

"I see. I don't know. Jacob seems to think so, but we can't be completely sure exactly. If she is, Sam wants to let it go, she knew what she wanted. She wanted it. It doesn't break the treaty."

"What if it did break the treaty?"

"Well Jacob thinks it does. If the treaty had been broken, they would go fight the Cullens and try to kill them. Including Bella. Jacob skirted over that little detail."

"You said they, you wouldn't?"

"Absolutely not. I told them as much, too. I refuse to take the life of any member of the Cullen family. They're just as human as we are, including Bella if she really has been turned, but something tells me that isn't the case. I think there's more to it than-" I was cut off by the sound of howls. Not one, but seven of them. All of them close, all of them frantic sounding. Something had happened… Jacob? I didn't bother taking the long way. I turned and sprinted toward the back door, through the open sliding glass door and vaulted over the side of the balcony, sending myself careening out through the open air and toward the forest. The moment I leapt, I phased in an instant, landing on all fours as I sprinted toward their position.

_What happened?_

_Jacob. He went to the Cullens._ Sam replied.

_Alone? Jake what the hell are you-_

_He went human. _

I spun around the other way and started running even faster in the opposite direction, toward the Cullen house and away from the pack. _Cam. _Sam called out to me, but I wasn't listening, I couldn't listen. I had to stop him. _Cameron. _That double timbre was there, and it was enough to make me slide to a stop in the dirt as the frustrations I'd been feeling since the wedding surfaced. _HOW ARE YOU GOING TO STOP ME RIGHT NOW? YOU KNOW ALL I WANT IS TO STOP HIM. _

_I'm not telling you to stop, I'm telling you to wait. _

_FOR WHAT?! _

_Calm down, Cameron. Guys, kick it into gear. I want you in this clearing. It's close by, they can get back to us quickly and we can get to them quickly if something-_

_Nothing is going to happen, Sam. I can stop him, you know I can. Nothing will happen today._

_Regardless, I want to be close. Run, guys. Cam, go._

I was gone before he finished his sentence, throwing myself forward with incredible speed. My nails dug into the loam beneath my feet, I weaved in and out of the trees with accuracy I shouldn't have in a form this large. The trees had become unfamiliar to me as I moved into a section of the forest we didn't patrol . I vaguely noted Sam telling Paul to stay behind to pass on information to our families when Jacob came back. Part of me wished I had told Anna what was happening before I left, she would assume the worst. _I'll have Rachel call her. _He offered, pacifying me for the moment. Within a few minutes, the trees started to change again. I'd rocketed through the clearing the others had fought the newborns in and shifted my direction slightly.

When I broke through the trees, it was to find Jacob standing in front of Edward, who was on his knees, his head hung as he seemed to be choking on whatever agony was literally killing him. They turned to look at me, but I had phased again the moment I cleared the trees, stopping beside Jacob. My expression must have been a sight, because he suddenly looked worried when he saw me. "WHAT THE HELL?" I practically screamed at him. Then, his expression changed. It was hollow, broken as if he'd just been told… had she… "Is she?"

"No." Edward interrupted me. The front door opened and Alice emerged with a pair of shorts which she threw at me. I caught them thankfully and pulled them on. "What happened. I want real answers, not the quarantined excuse you gave Charlie."

And he did. He told me everything he told Jacob and for a moment I think the world stopped turning. Part of me wanted to throw up, the very idea of it disgusted me. "It's killing her, right? She's dying?" Jacob asked, and suddenly I wasn't there anymore, it was just the two of them talking about the death of the girl they loved. I walked past them, toward the house and right through the front door only to be met with a wall that was Emmet and Jasper side by side, glaring at me. I held my hands up in surrender, but Carlisle had told them to back off before I'd gotten the chance to speak. I moved to stand beside the bed, frowning down at the girl who gave me a worried smile. "They aren't fighting. He's telling Jake the story." And blaming himself for what will be your death.

"Did you know this would happen if the two of you…?"

"We had no clue. There's never been anything like Edward and I, so how could we know?"

"and you're keeping it?"

"Him." She said stubbornly glaring at me, though her gaze held no real anger. She probably wasn't capable. She was pale, incredibly so. I could practically see the bone beneath her skin, and there was no muscle to speak of. Her cheeks were hollow, her brow was sweaty and pale, her hair lacked the sheen it usually did and her eyes were tired, exhausted. Almost like she'd been running doubles for two months straight.

"You're keeping him?"

"Yes. He'll be our little EJ." I noticed then that the blonde was standing on the other side of the bed, he lips curled back over her teeth as she glared daggers at me. I spared her no more than a passing glance as I grabbed Bella's hand, momentarily shocked at the temperature of her skin. "Do you want me to bring Anna over?"

"I…" she frowned. "She lives in La Push, now. With me. She deserves to know."

"I would like that, yes. Please."

"Of course."

" Thanks for coming to check up on me."

"You'd better make it through this, Bella. I don't know how I would tell Anna, and I don't think Edward will be able to handle it." She frowned at this, but she didn't say anything. Throughout the rest of the visit, I stayed quiet in the background, unmoving and quiet as I listened to the conversations around me. I hadn't been surprised at Jacob's question for Bella, his offer to her. Edward would do anything to keep her safe. The end of the visit drew nearer and I became increasingly worried. As Jacob prepared to leave, I stood and walked over to her one last time, giving her a parting smile as Jake stalked out. "Bye, Bells."

I followed Jacob out, threw my own clothes to the ground beside him and we phased back together, the others noticing instantly. I felt Paul phase out, probably to tell the others that he was still alive as Sam spoke. _Come home __**now. **_he ordered, furious with him. Jake's mind began to replay everything, and I relived it all through his vision as we ran full tilt toward the others. I chipped my own side of it in, including Edwards huddled form on the ground, Bella's expression, the expression on Rosalies face as I got close to her. Everybody started shouting at once, complete chaos as we kept moving.

_How can this be? What does it mean? What will it be? _

_Not safe. Not right. Dangerous. _

_Unnatural. Monstrous. Abomination. _

_We can't allow it. _

They were all in synchronization, but my own thoughts were completely separate from theirs. _Unknown._

We met quickly, and I sat down beside Jake, my head swimming in the thoughts of the bodies that circled us now.

_The treaty does not cover this, it puts everyone in danger. _

He pulled images from Jacob's mind, presenting it to all of us.

_They fear it, too._

_But they won't do anything about it. Protecting Bella Swan._

_We can't let that influence us. _

_The safety of our families, of everyone here, is more important than one human._

_If they won't kill it, we have to._

_Protect the tribe._

_Protect our families._

_We have to kill it before it's too late._

Another memory. Edwards voice as he spoke of its rapid growth.

_No time to waste, _Jared thought.

_It will mean a fight, _Embry cautioned._ A bad one._

_We're ready, _Paul insisted.

_We'll need surprise on our side, _Sam thought.

_If we catch them divided, we can take them down separately. It will increase our chances of victory, _Jared thought, starting to strategize now.

_Wait, _Jacob thought, standing.

_There's little time_, Sam said.  
_But—what are you thinking? You wouldn't attack them for breaking the treaty this afternoon. Now you're planning an ambush, when the treaty is still intact?_

_This is not something our treaty anticipated,_ Sam said. _This is a danger to every human in the area. We don't know what kind of creature the Cullens have bred, but we know that it is strong and fast-growing. And it will be too young to follow any treaty. Remember the newborn vampires we fought? Wild, violent, beyond the reach of reason or restraint. Imagine one like that, but protected by the Cullens._

_We don't know—_

_We don't know. _Sam agreed.

_ And we can't take chances with the unknown in this case. We can only allow the Cullens to exist while we're absolutely sure that they can be trusted not to cause harm. This… thing cannot be trusted._

_They don't like it any more than we do._

Sam pulled Rosalies expression and body language from my mind and Jacobs, putting it on display for everybody.

_Some are ready to fight for it, no matter what it is. _

_It's just a baby, for crying out loud. _

_Not for long._ Leah whispered.

_Jake, buddy, this is a big problem. _Quil said. _We can't just ignore it._

_You're making it into something bigger than it is. The only one who's in danger here is Bella._

_Again, by her own choice. _Sam argued. _But this time her choice effects us all. _

_I don't think so._

_We can't take that chance. We won't allow a blood drinker to hunt on our lands. _

_Then tell them to leave. _Said the only other wolf who protested this, Seth. Of course.

_And inflict the menace on others? When blood drinkers cross our land, we destroy them, no matter where they plan to hunt. We protect everyone we can._  
_This is crazy, _Jake said. _This afternoon you were afraid to put the pack in danger. _

_This afternoon I didn't know our families were at risk._

_I can't believe this! How're you going to kill this creature without killing Bella?_

There was silence now. Nobody spoke. The answer was obvious. Jake was howling now. _She's human too! Doesn't our protection apply to her?!_

_She's dying anyway. _Leah thought. _We'll just shorten the process. _Jake was on her within seconds, leaping forward, his teeth bared, but I was faster. I caught his flank and yanked backward, forcing him to a stop, and he howled again as he turned on me. _Stop! _ Sam ordered, his voice echoing again. Jake barely maintained his stance, his legs shaking under the power of the command. _You will not be cruel to him, Leah. Bella's sacrifice is a heavy price, and we will recognize that. It is against everything we stand for to take a human life. Making an exception to that code is a bleak thing. We will all mourn for what we do tonight. _

_Tonight? _I interrupted, shocked. _Sam, we need to think about this more. Consult with the elders, you can't seriously want us to-_

_We cannot afford your tolerance for the Cullens tonight. _I fell forward, my knees buckling as I struggled to keep myself standing. I could feel that part of me begin to surface, the submissive part that I struggled to beat down every single day. _There is no time for debate. You will do as you are told. _I fell completely, my head lowered as I struggled to hold myself together. Seth stood beside me, whining slightly. _Sam, he's right. You know he is. We should talk to the elders before we rush into this, what if we're wrong? _Sam growled, one loud and even sound, and Sam was suddenly beside me on the ground, forced down. Jake, standing beside us, was barely managing to keep himself up as Sam circled us.

He began to strategize, giving out orders and telling us who our focus would be. Jake and I, the strongest fighters, would take on Emmet and Jasper respectively. I would take Jasper as I was the fastest, and Jake would take Emmet along with Quil and Embry. Beside me would be Seth and Seth alone. The others had started to group up while Jake barely paid any attention, and suddenly there was no Jacob. There was only Jacob Black. _No. _Jake said again, his voice low and angry, echoing with that strange double timbre of the Alpha. _Jake, what have you done? _Sam demanded with a yelp, backing away half a step. He'd felt its impact like the rest of us did, but he could resist it unlike the rest of us. _I won't follow you Sam. Not for something so wrong. _

_You would… you would choose your enemies over your family?_

_They aren't… they aren't our enemies. They never have been. Until I really thought about destroying them, thought it through, I didn't see that._

_This isn't about them,_ Sam snarled. _This is about Bella. She has never been the one for you, she has never chosen you, but you continue to destroy your life for her! _Harsh words, but true ones never the less. Jake felt their impact as he winced.

_Maybe you're right. But you're going to destroy the pack over her, Sam. No matter how many of them survive tonight, they will always have murder on their hands.  
We have to protect our families!  
I know what you've decided, Sam. But you don't decide for me, not anymore.  
Jacob—you can't turn your back on the tribe._ His voice echoed as he tried to force Jacob to bend to his will again. _Ephraim Black's son was not born to follow Levi Uley's. _Jake spoke, untouched by the command.

_Is this it, then, Jacob Black?_ He snarled, and Paul and Jared growled at his sides. _Even if you defeat me, the pack will never follow you._

_Defeat you? I'm not going to fight you, Sam._

_Then what's your plan? I'm not stepping aside so that you can protect the vampire spawn at the tribe's expense._

_I'm not telling you to step aside._

_If you order them to follow you—_

_I'll never take anyone's will away from him._ He looked at me and Seth now.

_There cannot be more than one Alpha. The pack has chosen me. Will you rip us apart tonight? Will you turn on your brothers? Or will you end this insanity and join us again?_

I felt Jacob's almost need to rise to the challenge, but he suppress it after a short moment.

_There is only one Alpha for this pack. I'm not contesting that. I'm just choosing to go my own way.  
Do you belong to a coven now, Jacob?_

_I don't know, Sam. But I do know this— _And it was back. That tone he spoke in that meant absolution, the undeniable order that you could not possibly decline, and it was stronger in Jacob than it ever had been with Sam.

_I will stand between you and the Cullens. I won't just watch while the pack kills innocent people. The pack is better than that. Lead them in the right direction, Sam._

And then he was off, running away as howls tore through the night. I waited for a minute, and then the other presence was gone as I felt a consciousness leave the pack, different from phasing. Seth ran now, away from us and a second chorus of howls ripped through the air as I stood. _Will you leave us too? _Sam was beyond angry, and I almost fell again, but I looked him in the eye. _I told you today my choice in this matter. I will never fight against the Cullens, not because I tolerate them, but because they are humane. They protect human life just as we do. I will not take one away. _I was moving toward him now, my own voice taking on that strange echo it had before as it grew louder until I was yelling at him, and he was sat back on his haunches before me, his head bowed. _I will never hurt innocent people, and no amount of ordering me will ever change my mind on that. I will not join Jacob's pack, but I refuse to be a part of yours if you try to force me into this. I will kill you before you control me again, Sam. I will not submit for the rest of my life._

_Then will you leave us? Will you form your own pack? _

_No. I will be my own pack, a wolf separate from all others. I am controlled by no one and I control no one. I will always be here in times of need, I will always protect La Push with every fiber of my being. I will not take orders from you._

_If you aren't an Alpha, then what are you? _

_A lone wolf._

* * *

**Ending Note: And here we are! Cameron is now what I intended him to be since the beginning. In the summary for this, I call Cameron a lone wolf, one without a pack. This is what I was talking about. Think of him like an advisor for the others, help when they require it and guidance too. The question is will he stay that way? **


	27. Chapter 27 - Uprising

**Authors Note: Well here we are. Chapter twenty seven, we're steamrolling through this one so far. I wasn't overly fond of Bella's chapter one, probably because Jacob's portion is easily my favorite part out of all four of them. Or five of them if you consider Midnight Sun, which I can't because it isn't finished, though Edward's point of view is a lot more interesting to me because of the analytic side of everything he sees. I wont speed through everything, there will be plenty of time for more character development and James is ever looming on the horizon. I'm adding more and more of the romance portion of this that is Cameron and Anna, starting slow but more than likely working its way into full chapters like I did before when they were getting to know each other. For any of you used to stories that do incorperate such things, there will be absolutely zero mature scenes involved in this fic. While I'm sure writing it is something I'm more than capable of, as I am a male in possession of a penis, I can't have it diminish what this story is, and what Twilight itself is. Smut will never feature in any of my stories, just like they never featured in any of Stephanies. Sorry if this disappoints some of you. I respect my characters too much to write them in such scenes.**

**Besides, my mom reads this. **

**i cant be havin dat yo**

**Disclaimer: lolwedontdothis**

* * *

I had walked away from Sam, back in the direction of La Push. I would have to take Anna away from here now. She needed to be with Bella while all this went down, but I wouldn't be back here for quite a while, and there's no way I'm leaving her alone. When I left their presence, I felt their minds leave me just as Jake and Seth's had. The silence was comforting, but the feeling was terrible, like I had nobody in the world anymore. I had no pack, no family and soon no home. I couldn't trust that the elders would allow me to keep the apartment, so I would have to seek employment once all of this was said and done. I passed the invisible boarder of La Push and made my way to the apartment, walking to the front door as a wolf and phasing back once I was sure nobody was around to see. I walked into the apartment to find Anna on the phone. "He's here now, thanks Rachel." She hung up the phone and set it down, walking over to me completely unfazed by the fact that I was naked. "What happened?"

I told her everything. From Sam's decision to Jacob and I leaving, all of it. I'd put on some clothes after I got there and started grabbing a couple pairs to take with me, which I shoved into a backpack. Anna packed her own, insisting on coming with me before I'd even asked her to, and we set off for her car. We drove in relative silence the entire way to the Cullens, and it was only when we pulled into the drive way that I saw Jacob and Seth bounding toward the car. Even in that form, I could tell Jacob was not happy. Anna came to a stop, and I stepped out of the car, waving her forward while the others stood to the side of the vehicle. Jake pulled himself together, and stood before me with an inquisitive expression. "If you think you're joining up too, it's not happening."

"You're right, it's not happening."

"What do you mean? You're still with Sam?"

"Not really. I'm not with either of you."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Sure it does. Think about it, you said I'm your cousin right? I'm Ephraim's grandson too, I have the alpha blood in me. I accepted it today just like you did. I broke off from the pack. I have no pack now."

"Will you ever?"

"Not if I can help it. I don't want to control people, but I won't be controlled either. I spend my entire life doing that, I won't do it again. So consider this a formal request from another alpha; let me join your pack as a fill in. I'll follow your lead, help you with the patrols you're running, keep an eye out for the others and do whatever else you need. Think of me like a stand-in beta, I guess."

"Will it even work like that?"

"One way to find out."

I removed my clothes as Jake phased again, tied them to my leg and shifted instantly, quicker even than before, and that had been faster than everybody else to begin with. I thought about phasing and it just happened, no shaking no willing it to happen, nothing. At first I heard nothing but the same pressing silence, but when I locked eyes with Jacob, mentally put myself under his command, I felt them just like before. I'd joined his pack, basically. The Alpha instinct was still there, battling at me to attempt to take control, but I suppressed it with ease. _There we go. The silence was nice, but the emptiness sucked._

_I know what you mean. It's like a hollow feeling, like you have nobody and nothing. Lonesome. So what does this make you? The alpha wolf is the leader, the beta wolf is the second in command, what's left? _

_Omega. Bottom tier, lowest rank. Last to eat, last to drink, last to everything. _

_Nothing else?_

_Not in a traditional wolf pack, no. I suppose I'll be the Omega of your pack and we'll see where it goes from there. _

_Nah, you're second. I need a strong second, you're about as strong as they come._

_Yes Jacob, I will marry you. _

_Shut up, kid._

* * *

After listening to Carlisle's apology for having to make my decision, Esme's offer of clothes food and whatever else I needed and Edwards brief thanks while he sat with Bella, I'd managed to find some alone time with Anna in what was apparently Edwards bedroom. He'd offered it to her to use while she stayed here. I'd been offered as well, but the smell was too much for me. "Pregnant, I can't believe it."

"I know, it's… strange."

"And of course she's demanding they keep it. The relationship between her and Rosalie all of a sudden, too. Rosalie hates her, Cam. I don't understand why she's suddenly her best friend."

"Blondie wants a baby, I would guess." She dragged me over to the massive bed, and made me sit down so she could lounge next to me, her head resting on me. "I hate seeing her like this, Cameron. I don't know if I can take it when she… if she…" she cut herself off with a sob, and I pulled her tighter to my chest, pressing a kiss against her temple. "I know. I think this can work, though. She has a game plan."

"Turning into one of them. It's better than losing her obviously, but she'll be different than she is now. She'll be young and wild like the ones in the clearing." She shuddered at the memory. "I'm ruining your shirt."

"I don't care about the shirt, Anna. You can cry, I don't mind in the least."

"I'm sorry, it's just…"

"I know."

We sat in silence for a long time. Jacob had fallen asleep, Seth was running the patrol, and I was free to spend some time with Anna as the sun began to set. The smell was annoying, but having her close to me diluted it, making it tolerable. "I'm going to take a vacation from work for a while."

I shifted so that I was leaning on my elbow, hovering over here as we talked. "Do you have the days for it?"

"I should. If I don't I'll just quit my job, it doesn't matter. I need to be here for her."

"We might have to fight Sam and the others, Anna. If that happens while you're close,"

"Then it happens. They won't come after me, they have no reason to."

"You're implying that makes a difference. I wont have you in any danger, whether it's unlikely or not."

"What will you do, then?"

"Send you to Charlie's? I don't know."

"Can we talk about this later? I'm tired and you're very comfortable." She slung her arms around my neck, and I wrapped my arms around her waist to flip her over so that she was laying entirely on top of me, looking startled. "Still comfortable?"

"Careful, there are very sharp ears in this house." She cautioned, smirking down at me.

"I really don't care." She had started to retort, but I cut her off, pressing my lips to hers while her own molded around mine, playing at the edge of my lips with her tongue before she smiled and rolled off of me to slide into my side, resting her head in the hollow of my neck. "Ouch, the denial is painful."

"You'll live."

"Not if I kill myself first, it hurt too much." She laughed, pressing another kiss to my neck before she returned her head to its earlier position. "Be quiet, I'm trying to sleep."

I'd ended up sleeping in the bed with her, and awoke to the gentle prompting of Seth from the foot of the bed. He looked slightly embarrassed to be here, and I found out why when I found Anna curled completely around me, hugging me like I was a body pillow. I moved her arms gently, got out of the bed quietly and moved to the door, shutting it behind me. "This had better be good."

"I need you to help run patrol, Jake's trying to sleep, I don't want to keep him up but I don't feel confident enough to run this whole patrol without blind spots."

"He ran the last few days with barely any sleep, that makes sense. I can do that. You look like you could use some sleep yourself."

"Probably. I've got a lot to look out for, though. I don't want something to happen while I'm asleep."

"You can't fight tired, bro. After we're done with this patrol I want you to get some rest."

"As you command, alpha."

"Not funny."

* * *

_Hey Jake, how's it going?_

_Yup. _

I laughed, walking past him as he came back to lay down in a patch of grass near the forest. _I'll pick up the patrol from here. We'll howl if something's up._ He nodded, closing his eyes as Seth and I started to run. _This is nice. It's a small family, but it's almost better you know?_

_Yeah, I know. Keep it down, let Jake get some sleep._

_'kay. _

We lapsed into silence as Jake let our images fill his head, the streak of the trees as they flew past in a blur of green, the sound of paws thudding against dirt in the same rhythmic motion. I could see the allure. We looped the perimeter once when Seth caught the scent; wolf. I skidded to a stop and rocketed off toward him as he let a howl pierce the early morning quiet. I skidded to a stop beside him just as Jake came up from behind while we waited, listening to the paws thudding against the dirt. _One wolf. Who-_

_Morning, boys. _Seth whined, recognizing the thoughts instantly. _Oh, man! Go away, Leah!_

_Cut the noise, Seth._ Jake called out to him, silencing the howls.

_Right. Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! _he pawed the ground in frustration.

_Stop whining Seth, you're such a baby. _She chastised, breaking through the trees before us. Jake let out a low growl, his ears flattening against his head as I crouched low, ready to pounce of necessary. She stepped back automatically as Jake asked _What do you think you're doing, Leah?_

_It's pretty obvious isn't it? _ _I'm joining your crappy little renegade pack. The vampires' guard dogs. _She laughed, her thoughts giddy with excitement.

_No, you're not. Turn around before I rip our one of your hamstrings._

_Like you could catch me. _She crouched forward, though she eyed me warily. _I can. _I said plainly. _Which begs the question what are you doing here? You told Sam you weren't Joining his pack_ she jerked her head toward Jake. _Why are you here? _

_Because I'm not in his pack. I'm in my own, like I said. I'm keeping the peace like I promised I would. _

Jake took in a deep breath before letting it all out in a gust. _Seth, go let the Cullens know it's just your stupid sister. I'll deal with this._

_On it! _Seth wheeled off toward the house while I relaxed in my stance, pacing around her, testing her scent. She hadn't been near the others since last night, I could tell that much. _You're just going to let him run off to the vampires alone? _

_I'm pretty sure he'd rather they took him out than another minute with you. _Jake replied harshly. I chuckled internally. She growled. _Shut up Jacob. Oops, I'm sorry – I meant shut up, most high Alpha _

_Why the hell are you here? _I interrupted her, speaking before Jacob.

_Seth doesn't want or need your protection. In fact, no one wants you here._  
_Oooh, ouch, that's gonna leave a _huge_ mark. Ha, _she barked._ Tell me who _does_ want me around, and I'm outta here._  
_So this isn't about Seth at all, is it?_  
_Of course it is. I'm just pointing out that being unwanted is not a first for me. Not really a motivating factor, if you know what I mean._

Jake gritted his teeth, and I sighed. I circled back around her other side and sat down on Jake's left, not bothering to take the proper place. _Really Leah, why are you here? Did Sam send you?_

_If I was on Sam's errand you wouldn't be able to hear me. My allegiance is no longer with him. _

_You're loyal to me now? _Jake asked, his tone laced with sarcasm. _Uh-huh. Right. _

_My choices are limited. I'm working with the options I've got. Trust me, I'm not enjoying this any more than you are. _

Jake searched her mind while I lowered my head. I couldn't stand the feeling, so I imagine she didn't like it any more than I did. Seth made his hasty explanation to Edward while Leah examined his face. _Wow, he looks bad. _Seth muttered.

_Jake, can you handle things here? I'm gonna run patrol I don't feel right about this, they may have followed her, her idea or not._

_That's fine. Not too far. If something does happen I want to be able to get to you quickly. _

_Roger._

I made a small perimeter around them, about a mile out, I was able to complete it about three times by the time they finished their little conversation running at full speed. Leah had convinced him with some truthful words, and she was now officially part of the pack and was currently running the perimeter as fast as she could, enjoying lapping me as I took it at a bit of a slower pace. The next time I passed the big house, I noticed Anna sitting on the porch. She perked up as I blurred into view, and I wheeled around, trotting up to her. Jake had gone in to see Bella, and Anna was looking distressed. _I'll be back in a bit, keep the permiter going. Leah, please take your time and quit running circles around Seth. _

She laughed, but agreed, slowing her pace somewhat. I touched my nose to Anna's forehead and moved behind the staircase, phasing just out over her sight and pulling the shorts I'd got from Alice yesterday on. "Hey, you okay?"

"Kind of, not really. They had an idea to help Bella eat… since she can't keep anything down."

"That's good. What is it?"

"Uh… they figure since it's half vampire too, it might have a different diet."

"So they're having her… oh good god, that's disgusting."

"Yeah… would you mind-"

"Of course not. C'mon."


	28. Chapter 28 - Conference

**Authors note: This chapter is mainly a rewrite unfortunately. I couldn't just blank over all the plot stuff, as it's so important to the main story and something significant happens with it anyways, so this is mainly a filler in a way. I do add a plot device in the form of a cliffhanger though, you're welcome. Sorry for my absence yesterday, I've been pretty caught up in some stuff. More to come! Chapter twenty eight comin' at 'ya!**

* * *

Watching Bella drink the blood had probably been the most disgusting thing I've ever witnessed. The sloshing sound it made in the cup as she took it uneasily from Rosalie, the steady hesitant sucking sound as she tested it and then the steady drinking as she gulped it down was enough to force me to swallow back vomit. Jake hadn't done much better, and I could tell Anna thought it was disgusting as well, but cared much less than I did so long as it made her better… and it did. Her face was getting better by the second. Her skin tone was returning to the pale it had been before rather than the almost chalky white that made her look barely alive. She looked much better. Still weak, but much better and the relief could be felt inn the air as if it were something tangible. Rosalie had left to get Bella more while I rested my head against Anna's shoulder, my eyes drifting shut as I tried to drown out the nausea.

"Jake, you look awful," Bella said suddenly, her voice still rough.

"Look who's talking." He replied, and I chuckled.

"Seriously-When's the last time you slept?"

"The last time he slept, that would be the day before he came here to see you for the first time if I remember correctly. In other words, three days."

"Aw, Jake. Nnow I'm messing with your health, too. Don't be stupid."

"Yeah, don't be stupid, Jake." Anna whacked my arm, but I could feel her suppressing laughter beside me.

"Get some rest, please, There're a few beds upstairs – you're welcome to any of them."

"Thanks, Bells, but I'd rather sleep onn the groundn. Away from the stench, you know."

"Cam didn't seem to mind."

"That would be because I had a scent much stronger than any of your vampires to sleep next to. You would not catch me in there without Anna, I promise you that."

"Is it really that bad?"

"Yes. They smell sickly sweet to me, it's disgusting. No offence, Edward." he just shook his head. Carlisle returned and passed her the cup, which she took absentmindedly. She made to sit up, which Rosalie helped her with and I started paying attention once the sucking sound died out.

"How do you feel now?" Carlisle asked, his face still concerned but hopeful. "Not sick. Sort of hungry… only I'm not sure if I'm hungry or thirsty, you know?"

"Carlisle, just look at her, this is obviously what her body wants. She should drink more." Rosalie said, her voice smug and irritating. Anna eyed me warily, her lips pressed tightly together. She got the same impression I had, I gathered. Blondie cared about the baby's health, not Bella's. Carlisle had asked her a question, but I'd barely registered it at that point. Edward had started talking, but my attention was elsewhere. I looked out the window, my eyebrows knitted together. I could swear I'd heard something. "Jake," I spoke a second later, "I think-" I was interrupted by a howl, followed by another. I launched myself off the couch, vaulting over the back, my shape blurring as I ran. I jumped the stairs, shifting in mid air, sighing as my clothes ripped to shreds. Jake did the same. _What is it? _Jake shouted.

_Incoming. At least three._

_No, four. I can tell that much. _I corrected him, listening through him.

_I'm running the line back to Seth at the speed of light. _Leah put in while Jake and I pushed ourselves.

_Seth, do not challenge them. Wait for us._

_They're slowing. Ugh—it's so off not being able to hear them. I think…_

_What?_

_I think they stopped._

_Waiting for the rest of the pack?_

_Shh. Feel that?_

_Someone's phasing?_

_Definitely._

Leah slid into view, her claws trailing inn the dirt as she spun, coming to a stop beside Seth. _Got you back, bro. _

_They're coming. Slow, walking. _Seth was nervous, and it made my stomach hurt. I pushed myself harder, as fast as I could. Jake was starting to fall behind at this point. Jake's thoughts were panicked, Seth's worried, mine strainend and Leah's wry. _Look who's getting all paternal. _She joked with him.

_Head in the game Leah._

_You were right, Cam. Four. Three wolves, one man. _

I made the clearing, locking my legs just before it came into sight, sliding to a stop so that I was still just barely out of sight. I stayed that way, waiting for Jake, who came up a few seconds later. I moved into view, standing beside Jake on his right shoulder. Seth moved to his left while Leah took my right. _So now I rank under Seth._

_First come, first served. 'sides, you were never an Alpha's third before. Still an upgrade_

_Unnder my baby brother is not ann upgrade._

_Shh! I don't care where you stand. Shut up and get ready. _

They came into view a few seconds later at a walking pace. Jared in front, human, hands up while Paul Quil and Collin stood behind him, still wolves. There was no aggression at all. They hung back, ears up and alert but calm.

_Why Collin? That doesn't make sense. Embry would be more logical. _I thought, noting the smaller wolf idly.

_A diversion?_

_Not likely. They arenn't that stupid. Seperated without Jared and Quil would be suicide on all accounts. Sam wouldn't send Jared Paul Quil and Collin against the four of us. It would be suicide attacking the Vampires on their part, and suicide for these four as well. I can check, Jacob. I'll be back in no time, I can warn the Cullen's, too. _

_Sam wouldnn't be so stupid… _Leah whispered, her thoughts fearful as she imagined three of them attacking the Cullens without help.

_No, he wouldn't. _Jake assured her while I whined uneasily. The four stood, staring at us andn waiting. Nnot being in their heads was incredibly odd. Jared cleared his throat and nodded to Jacob. "white flag of truce, Jake. We're here to talk.

_Think it's true? _Seth asked.

_Makes sense, but…_

_Yeah, _Leah agreed. _But._

_Jared frowned. "It would be easier to talk if I could hear you, too._

Jake stared at him, contemplating. "Okay, I guess I'll just talk, then." Jared said. "Jake, we want you to come back." Quil let out a whine behind him, seconding the statement. "You've torn out family apart. It's not meant to be this way. We know you feel… strongly about the situation with the Cullens. We know that' s a problem. But this is an overreaction." Seth growled. _Overreaction? Annd attacking our allies without warning isn't?_

_Seth, you ever heard of a poker face? Cool it._

_Sorry. _

Jared's eyes flickered between Jake and Seth. "Sam is willing to take this slowly. He's calmed down, talked to the Elders. They've decided that immediate action is in no onen's best interest at this point."

_Translation: They've already lost the element of surprise, _Leah thought.

"Billy and Sue agree with you, Jacob, that we can wait for Bella to be… separated from the problem. Killing her is not something any of us feel comfortable with."

Jake snarled now. _So they're not cool with murder now? _I said sarcastically, my eyes narrowing. Jared raised his hands in surrender. "Easy, Jake. You know what I mean. The point is, we're going to wait and reassess the situation. Decide later if there's a problem with the… thing."

_Ha, what a load. _Leah thought.

_You don't buy it?_

_I know what they're thinking, Jake. What Sam's thinking. They're betting on Bella dying anyway, and then they figure you'll be so mad…_

_That I'll lead the attack myself. _His ears pressed against his skull.

_Pretty spot on, definitely possible, too. If that thing kills Bella, _I inserted, trailing off. They'd look like nothing but Vampires to him again.

_I'll remind you, _Seth whispered.

_I know you will, kid. Question is whether I'll listen to you. _

_You'll listen to me._ I replied. He looked at me for a second, and I nodded. _I told you before I wont let you destroy yourself. I always got your back, bro. _

_Thanks. _He replied before letting out a sigh. "Jake?" Jared asked.

_Leah, make a circuit, just to be sure. I'm going to have to talk to him and I want to be positive there isnn't anything else going onn while I'm phased. _

_Give me a break, Jacob. You can phase in front of me. Despite my best efforts, I've seen you naked before, doesn't do much for me so no worries. _

_I'm not trying to protect the innocence of your eyes, I'm trying to protect our backs. Get out of here. _She snorted and launched herself into the forest. "Where' she going?" Jared asked. Jake ignored him as he pulled himself together, turning human as he stood, catching it so that he was fully upright when he turned human. "Oh, hey Jake."

"Hey, Jared."

"Thanks for talking to me."

"Yeah."

"We want you to come back, man."

Quil whined again. "I don't know if it's that easy, Jared."

"Come home. We can sort this out. You don't belong here. Let Seth andn Leah come home, too."

"Right, like I haven't been begging them to do that from hour one." Seth snorted, but I frowned. He wanted Seth and Leah home, but nothing about me? Did I not rank the same anymore? Was I not worth the trouble?

"So what now, then?" Jared spoke, interrupting my reverie. "I donn't know. But I'm not sure things could just go back to normal anyways, Jared. I don't know how it works, it doesn't feel like I cann just turn this Alpha thing off and on as the mood strikes. It feels permanent."

"Doesn't seem to affect him much." Jared motioned toward me, his expression irritated.

"That's a different story, one I can't really explain properly. He'd have to-" I interrupted him as I stepped forward, lifting up just as Jake had so that I could stand in front of Seth on two legs. "I'm not a part of his pack, Jared. I'm here on my own merit doing what I feel is right. It just so happens to coincide with what Jake wants, too."

"You both still belong with us."

"Three Alpha's can't belong inn the same place, Jared. Do you remember how lcose it got with Sam and I last night? And almost constantly with Cam and I, the instinct is too competitive."

"So are you all just going to hang out with the parasites for the rest of your lives? You don't have a home here. You're already out of clothes. You gonna stay wolf all the time? You know Leah doesn't lke eating that way."

"Leah can do whatever she wantns when she gets hungry. She's here by her own choice, I'm not telling anyone what to do."

Jared sighed. "Sam is sorry about what he did to you guys."

"I know. I'm nnot angry anymore."

"But?"

"But I'm nnot coming back. Nnot now. We're gong to wait and see how it plays out, too. Andn we're going to watch out for the Cullens for as long as it seems necessary. Because, despite what you think, this isn't just about Bella. We're protecting those who should be protected. And that applies to the Cullens, too." Seth yelped softly in agreement, and I nodded.

"I guess there's nothing I can say to you, then."

"Not now. We'll see how things go."

Jared turned to face Seth now. "Sue asked me to tell you – no, to beg you – to come home. She's brokenhearted, seth. All alone. I donn't know how you and Leah can do this to her. Abandon her this way, whennn you dad just barely died-"

"Ease up, Jared." Jake warned when Seth whimpered. I placed a hand on his shoulder, looking up at him.

"Right." Jake laughed. "Sue's known about this for how many hours now? And most of that time spent with Billy and Old Quil and Sam? Yeah, I'm sure she's just perishing of loneliness. 'Course, you're free to go if you want, Seth. You know that."

Seth cocked an ear, and I looked in that direction, listening to the footsteps that pummeled the dirt. Leah skidded to a stop in the brush a few yards away and trotted in, standing beside me and just barely in front of Seth, to my right. She avoided looking at us, and I nearly smiled, thankful for the action. "Leah?" Jared asked. She lowered her gaze, her muzzle pulling back over her teeth.

"Leah, you know you don't want to be here." She snarled. I tapped her leg lightly, and Seth nudged her lightly. "Sorry, guess I shouldnn't assume. But you don't have any ties to the bloodsuckers." She looked at Seth deliberately, than to Jake and I. "So you want to watch out for Seth, I get that." He looked at the two of us warily, then back to her. "But Jake's not going to let anything happen to him, neither will Cam, and he's not afraid to be here. Please, Leah. We want you back. Sam wants you back." She twitched visibly beside me, I stepped away from her, moving to stand beside Jake instead of her. "Sam told me to beg. He told me to literally get down on my knees if I have to. He wants you home, Lee –lee. Where you belong." She flinched at the nickname, but when he added the last three words she lost her control, snarling at him angrily inn what I assumed were incredibly rude curse words I'd probably never heard before, even from her mouth.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Leah belongs wherever she wants to be." Leah growled, still glaring at Jared.

"Look, Jared. We're still family, okay? We'll get past the feud, but, until we do, you probably ought to stick to your land. Just so there aren't misunderstandings. Nobody wants a family brawl, right? Sam doesn't want that, either, does he?"

"Of course nnot." Jared snapped. "We'll stick to our land. But where is your land, Jacob? Is it vampire land?"

"No, Jared. Homeless at the moment, but don't worry-this isn't going to last forever." There's not that much time left, okay? Then the Cullens will probably go and Seth and Leah will come home."

I eyed him suspiciously as the two wolves behind me whinned and did the same. "And what about you, Jake? And Cam?"

"Back to the forest, I think. I can't really stick around La Push. Two Alpha's means too much tension. 'Sides, I was headed that way anyways. Before this mess."

"I'll be around. Wherever I need to be. Like I told Sam before, I'll always be here if he needs my help. Away, but not gone." Jared nodded. "What if we need to talk?" he asked Jacob. "Howl, but watch the line, okay? We'll come to you. And Sam doesn't need to send so many, we arenn't looking for a fight."

Jared scowled, but nodded. "See you around, Jake. Or nnot." He waved.

"Wait, Jared. Is Embry okay?"

"Embry? Sure, he's fine. Why?"

"Just wondering why Sam sent Collin."

"That's nnot really your business anymore, Jake."

"Guess not. Just curious."

"I'll let Sam know you're…. instructions. Goodbye, Jacob."

"Yeah. Bye, Jared. Hey, tell my dad I'm okay, will you? Annd that I'm sorry, and that I love him."

"I'll pass it along."

"Thanks."

"Oh, and Cam?" He asked, turning around to face me while Quil walked up to Jacob. "What's up?"

"Somebody came looking for you, name was Jay or something? Asked for you by name, said he was a friend of yours or something." My heart stopped beating for a moment as I stared at him, eyes widened. "J…Jay? What did he say? What did he want?"

"Just said he wanted to see you. I told him you were away for a while, passed on your number. Should I not have?"

"No, Jared. You shouldn't have." I covered my mouth with my hand as he apologized and made to walk away, the others following him. I phased and started sprinting toward the vampires house. Bad, all bad. If he was looking for me… why was he looking for me? What did he want? _Cam, are you… _

_No- Yes, I'm fine. Sorry. I need to uh… I'm… it's private. Sorry. _I pulled myself out, away from the pack as my mind went silent and I felt the unity disappear as I receded to whatever it was I am when I'm alone. I sprinted back to the house and came to a stop at the porch. Anna was sitting there waiting for me, clothes in her arms. I phased immediately, not bothering to move out of sight and yanked the pants on. I grabbed my phone from the ground where it had landed when I phased and powered it on, looking through my text messages and missed calls. Nothing. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure yet…"

"Cam, what happened? Edward said they left, did they not… are you okay?"

"James."

"Your step dad? What about him?"

"He's looking for me."


	29. Chapter 29 - Council

Authors Note: So somewhere along the line, updating this has become an obligation for me, and that's exactly what I didn't want. This has become less and less fun over time for me to write, and it's largely to do with how frequently I have to update it, so I've decided to back it down even further to twice a week at the least. I have big plans for this, and once we get beyond the monotonous section of Breaking Dawn that is this portion of the story in which Bella is pregnant and not a lot happens besides health risks I'll more than likely update more often.

The problem is this section is often times incredibly boring (to write, at least.) but so incredibly necessary at the same time, a lot of it is copy-pasting dialogue to keep in line with the storyline which bores me to no end. Bringing James back into this is slow, and when it finally does happen it's going to be explosive, so when that happens I'm sure I'll be much more eager to write chapters. In the meantime, I hope twice weekly updates are enough. I don't want to force anything, otherwise it ends up a poor rendition of an otherwise interesting story, and I don't want that to happen.

Chapter twenty nine though, that's a big number. This is the longest anything I've ever written, and definitely the best. Along the lines of possible Fic's are two things; one more twilight based one based on a different character in a different setting but still in correlation with the Cullens, as well as a completely unrelated one in the Pokemon universe. Look forward to those if you follow my work/are interested in something else. Coming some time in 2014 - ∞

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. Jared… he said somebody named Jay was looking for me."

"It might not be him, though. Jay could be anybody."

"No, it's him. He always used the name Jay when talking with other people. My principals at my old schools, child services, it was always Jay. It's him."

"So what then? It doesn't matter. He can't hurt you anymore, Cam." she tried to reason with me, pulling me down toward her as she sat on the stairs. I sat beside her quietly as three wolves bounded into the front lawn. Jacob eyed me warily, and Anna held up another pair of pants she'd apparently grabbed for him as well. He walked forward and took them in his teeth, then moved out of sight to phase while Seth and Leah split up, probably to patrol. "Hey, you alright?"

"I don't know yet." I told him honestly, looking down at him. "Who's Jay?"

"James." He bristled, his eyes narrowing, recognizing the name. "What the hell does he want? Has he called you?"

"No, he hasn't. I don't know what he wants." Anna squeezed the hand she was still holding lightly while Jacob clapped me on the shoulder as he walked past. "I gotta tell the bloodsuckers about what happened. You'll be fine Cam, he can't hurt you anymore."

He walked inside and I listened quietly to his brief conversation with Edward before Anna caught my attention again. "Why are you still afraid of him?" she asked, her voice soft. "I'm not, really." I shook my head. "Cameron, you're shaking." She held up my hand to show me and it was quivering. "I know. I'm not afraid of him like I used to be."

"What, then?"

"Stress, anxiety, anger. Pick one."

"Please explain." She had a very worried expression on her face now. "I'm anxious because I don't know how to handle this. Stressed because seeing him again is not something I think I can handle, and angry because he has the nerve to come after me again. Anna, if I see him again, I don't think I can keep myself from taking his life."

"So what? It's nothing less than he deserves."

"I don't want to be a killer." I shook my head. My arms were shaking violently now, and I took a deep breath to calm myself. I felt them slow and finally stop as I focused on my breathing. "I don't want to lower myself to that level. I'll be just like him if that's the case."

"No, you won't. You will never be what that man is. You don't have to see him, Cam."

"He'll find me, I know he will."

"I'll be with you. The only time you leave the house is when you're patrolling anyways. You have no reason to go anywhere else." Jacob came trotting down the steps again, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt, and I sighed, standing to move out of the way as the door opened shortly afterward. Jacob had stopped just behind us on the steps as Edward came out, an apology on his face. "Jeez, what now?" Jacob asked behind me, his voice low and tired sounding. "I'm sorry," he started, then paused. I tugged at Anna's hand, motioning toward the house and she nodded. We walked up the stairs, but Edward stopped me just as I passed him. "Cameron, this concerns you as well." I nodded, turning to look at Anna, but she shook her head and moved to lean against my side, bringing my arm around her mid section as Edward spoke.

"When you were speaking to Sam's delegates earlier, I was giving a play-by-play for Carlisle and Esme and the rest. They were concerned—"

"Look, we're not dropping our guard. You don't have to believe Sam like we do. We're keeping our eyes open regardless."

"No, no, Jacob. Not about that. We trust your judgment. Rather, Esme was troubled by the hardships this is putting your pack through. She asked me to speak to you privately about it, but since the situation applies directly to Cameron as well as Anna I decided to talk to the three of you."

"Hardships?" Jacob asked, caught off guard. I cocked an eyebrow as well but said nothing.

"The homeless part, particularly. She's very upset that you are all so… bereft."

Jacob snorted, and I smiled. "We're tough. Tell her not to worry."

"She'd still like to do what she can. I got the impression that Leah prefers not to eat in her wolf form?"

"And?"

"Well, we do have normal human food here, Jacob. Keeping up appearances, and, of course, for Bella. Leah is welcome to anything she'd like. All of you are."

"I'll pass that along."

"Leah hates us."

"So?"

"So try to pass it along in such a way as to make her consider it, if you don't mind."

"I'll do what I can."

"And then there's the matter of clothes."

"Thank you for that." I chipped in, tugging at the pants. I realized Anna was still holding the shirt, and grabbed it from her hands, slipping it on as Edward continued.

"Well, we're easily able to help out with any needs there. Alice rarely allows us to wear the same thing twice. We've got piles of brand-new clothes that are destined for Goodwill, and I'd imagine that Leah is fairly close to Esme's size…"

"No offence to you or Esme, but that would never happen." I started.

"Yeah, I'm not sure how she'll feel about bloodsucker castoffs. She's not as practical as we are." Jacob finished for me.

"I trust that you can present the offer in the best possible light. As well as the offer for any other physical object you might need, or transportation, or anything else at all. And showers, too, since you prefer to sleep outdoors. Please… don't consider yourselves without the benefits of a home."

"That's, er, nice of you. Tell Esme we appreciate the, uh, thought. But the perimeter cuts through the river in a few places, so we stay pretty clean, thanks."

"If you would pass the offer on, regardless."

"Sure, sure."

"Thank you."

Jacob turned to walk away when a low cry sounded from inside the house. Edward was gone in an instant, and I followed him in quickly, dragging Anna behind me as I dropped the shirt I was holding on the ground. Jacob trudged in behind me, shuffling in his sleep deprived state.

"Give me a second, Carlisle," Bella panted.

"Bella, I heard something crack. I need to take a look."

"Pretty sure" –pant- "it was a rib. Ow. Yep. Right here." She pointed to her left side

"Great, so it's breaking her bones now." I muttered quietly, barely loud enough for Jacob beside me to hear.

"I need to take an X-ray. There might be splinters. We don't want it to puncture anything." Edward and Rosalie had a short argument, and Jacob collapsed against the wall. "Probably shouldn't sleep there." I warned him. He waved his hand lazily, and I shook my head as Anna and I moved to the couch farthest from everybody. She was clearly anxious, so I just rubbed her arm soothingly as I listened to the X-Ray. "They're X-raying her now. I can hear the machine." I whispered quietly. She just nodded, watching the stairs, probably tempted to follow. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you were there. Bella definitely wouldn't."

"I don't want to be in the way." She shook her head, leaning into me again while we lapsed into silence. Alice had struck up a short conversation with Jacob, then made to sit in the space between the two of us, out of the way but close enough for me to know where she was. "You can get closer if it will help, Alice. I really don't mind." I said quietly, leaning my head backward to look at her upside down. She was curled in a corner, her hands massaging her temples. She moved closer immediately, leaning against the back of the couch quietly. "Thanks." She said softly as Jacob audibly fell asleep. "Any time. I mean it." I let my eyes close as the methodic beeping continued upstairs.

"Excuse me," It had been a long while since Jake had fallen asleep. I'd eventually rejoined Seth and Leah, taking command while Jacob slept for a good seven hours. Eventually I came back to the house to sleep, taking the couch so that I could still be around Anna. I wasn't comfortable sleeping in that bedroom. Alice had taken her post at the back of the couch, and I had drifted off for a good few hours. When I awoke, it was to the gentle prompting of Esme, who's face was apologetic instantly as I woke. "I'm so sorry-"

"Don't be, it's okay. What's up?"

"I was wondering… Edward and I are making some breakfast for Bella and Anna," she motioned to the girl, still asleep and curled into my side. "I was hoping you would like some, too."

"That would be great, thank you." I replied with a smile. "The other members of your pack, would they…?"

"Seth for sure. Leah won't but I'll make a point to bring her some anyways, Jake might." She nodded, thanked me then disappeared into the kitchen where I heard pans clinking lightly. Jake was still asleep, which was a good thing. He'd run for far too long, he needed it bad. I shuffled Anna very gently, letting her rest fully on the couch so I could stand and stretch, the bones in my back popping as I did. "How are we doing over here?" I asked. Bella was sat beside Edward on the couch, sipping the cup of fresh blood quietly as she looked up at my approach. "Pretty good. The rib doesn't hurt at all." She shrugged. "That's good." I looked at Edward, who was looking ever so slightly exasperated as he sat beside her, his thumb massaging the hand he held softly. "Still hot and cold?" I asked, noticing the sweat on her brow. She nodded, her face turning to a frown.

"Do you have any blankets?" I asked Edward now. He nodded, and I saw Alice stand from the corner of my eye. "I'll grab a few." She offered, disappearing before I could say anything. "You two are pretty close." Bella said suddenly, catching my attention. "I suppose." I shrugged. "That's good. You two are great together." She smiled. "She hasn't had somebody like you that she can trust since her mom." Her face saddened slightly. "It's really nice to see her happy again."

"I didn't realize I'd changed her that much." I looked back at her still sleeping form on the couch as Alice reappeared with the blankets. I thanked her as I took them and placed them over her, then brought another to Bella, flinging it over her legs as she continued. "You have. She changed over night when her mom died. She wasn't happy any more. She still functioned, made an effort to participate with everybody, but it was pretty obvious from the get-go that it was for appearance. It didn't help that I was so caught up in my own things, I couldn't be there for her as much as I would have liked to be. It's great seeing her return to how she used to be. She was always so cheerful and happy… all smiles and laughter. She brightened a room just by walking in."

"She definitely has that effect on me." I smiled, sitting on the edge of the couch beside Bella. "You're different too. When I first met you when you got the job, you acted the same way."

"I know. I was very anti-social."

"Your step dad was the reason for that?" she asked softly. I nodded. "He's the reason I'm still alive right now, but he was… horrible." A brief memory flashed through my mind, his face the first time he'd ever become physically violent as I looked up at him, curled in the corner. I was still very young, not even a teenager yet. I eyed Edward, who returned my gaze in silence. "I'm sorry." He said quietly, apologizing for intruding on my memory while earning a quirked eyebrow from Bella. He shook his head and I nodded, standing again. "It's okay. I'm used to keeping no secrets by this point, and it doesn't bother me that much anymore. I'm going to go check on the other two. I'll be back in an hour or so." I walked over to the other couch to place a kiss on Anna's forehead before I left.

_What's up, Cam? Seth greeted me as soon as I phased. Not a lot, just checking in. How are things?_

_Standard boring crap. Disgusting smell, boring scenery, you know the deal._ Leah answered before Seth, and I smiled inwardly. _Fun. Seth, head back to the house in about twenty minutes. They're making breakfast, I told them you would eat some._

_Awesome! I'm starving!_ He replied enthusiastically, putting a bit more effort into his run with the extra burst of energy. _Leah, I know your answer but I'll offer anyways._

_Hell no. I'm not playing pet dog to those leaches._

_You my friend need to sort out your priorities. What kind of person declines good food?_

_Shut up, Cameron._ She replied. I laughed at the venomous tone her words took, moving away from the house to do a couple laps. It didn't take long for Seth's thoughts to drift toward the conversation from earlier, and inevitably the part of it which concerned me. _Cam… who's Jay?_

_James._ I replied without missing a beat. _That prick? What the hell does he want?_ Leah thought, her tone irritable. _Who knows? Probably come to reclaim me or some moronic crap like that._

_Hah! I'd like to see him try to control a wolf, especially you. You're a monster._ Seth said, laughter coloring his tone. _That's kind of the problem. I'm afraid I might lose it if I see him again._

_And accidently kill him?_ Seth asked. I answered with a nod. _That would probably suck. Not too big of a loss though to be honest._

_That's not really the point. I don't want to kill him. I'd have to live with it for the rest of my life… I can't handle that._

_I say who gives a damn. He's a piece of crap, kick his ass and be done with it. Teach him a lesson._ Leah inserted nonchalantly.

_What would that do in the end? How would that fix anything?_

_Might give you some closure._ Seth suggested.

_Would it though? I don't think I could live with myself._

_You've killed before, Cam. Think of him the way you thought of that newborn, it's the same thing only on a personal level. If you kill him, he'll never hurt another person again._ Leah reasoned, passing by me on her lap as I trotted around the circle at a jogging pace.

_But he isn't a newborn vampire, he isn't a killer and he isn't bloodthirsty or capable of killing hundreds within minutes. It's completely different._

_Sure he is. If he got his hands on some kind of firearm he could easily blow up a building and end hundreds of lives with no more than the press of a button. Sure, he's unlikely do actually do that, but he's capable of it. Every human is. But think about what he did do. What he did to you, is that any better than draining somebody of their blood?_

_I'm alive. I'm happier now than I've ever been. I have a family and a girlfriend and a future. That is infinitely better than being killed by some leech._

_Bullshit, I'd sooner die than have somebody else go through that torture. Hell, point me in his direction, I'll kill him myself._

_No, Leah. I'll handle it some other way._

_Suit yourself, I still say use him as a chew toy._

_Thanks for the suggestions._ I sighed, finishing my lap just as Seth came around. I sniffed at the air and let out a sigh. _That smells awesome when you take away the vamp smell. Leah can you keep this up while Seth and I eat?_

_What do I look like to you? I can finish this loop fifty times by the time you pansies finish your puppy chow._

_I'm sure you can, Leah. Seth, meet me at the house, I'll go grab some clothes for you._

_Kay._

I'd phased and clothed by the time Seth trotted up behind me, his nose in the air as he tested the scent of cinnamon and bacon. Anna was waiting on the steps with clothes again, though she was in mid yawn as she spotted us. Seth grabbed the clothes gingerly from her and went to phase and change while I climbed the steps up to her, pulling her into a light hug. "Morning." I greeted her, planting a short kiss on her lips. "Definitely a good one. Have a good run?"

"Sort of, it was a short one." I shrugged. Seth climbed the steps behind me and thanked Anna for the clothes while we moved into the house where the scent of food got stronger. "So he crashed out here, huh? That can't be comfortable." Seth frowned at Jake's position by the door, his breathing heavy as he snored lightly. "Probably not, but I doubt he'll care. He needed some serious rest."

"No doubt." Seth agreed, moving past me to sit on the couch beside Bella, who was shivering slightly. "Cold?" he asked. She nodded and he scooted closer to her, draping his arm gently around her shoulders. She looked immensely grateful and thanked him while Edward returned from the kitchen and sat on the arm of the couch beside her, handing her a plate with omelets and some other foods on it. "Food is on the counter in the kitchen, help yourselves." He said, sparing us a short glance before he returned his gaze to Bella's face, watching as she sipped at her cup, pulling nothing but air. "Would you mind-" he grabbed the cup from her and moved to the kitchen before she finished her sentence. "Get some food, Seth. I'll be fine."

"Nah don't worry about it, I'll grab you some." I told the kid before he could get up. I followed Anna into the kitchen where several kinds of breakfast foods were piled up in a buffet style arrangement. I grabbed two plates and started piling on the food while Anna set her own and moved to the living room. A few minutes later, I passed Seth his plate and set to working on my own on the couch beside Anna. "This is amazing. Seriously." The snores behind us choked to a stop suddenly, and I peered over the back of the couch to watch Jacob jerk awake, eyeing the pillow somebody had put there with a reproachful expression before he surveyed the room quickly, eventually zeroing in on Seth.

"Hey, Jake's coming around!"

* * *

Edit: Fixed italicized letters in conversation with the wolves. - 3/5/2014


	30. Chapter 30 - Intermission

**Authors Note: I LIVE! Chapter thirty. Woah. We're getting there. I have plans for the end of this, so there will definitely be an end, trust me on that. I apologize if the structure of this one is a little wonky and there are missing things, google docs tends to screw up everything and I haven't proofreaded this as heavily as I usually do. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"He came to find you." Edward said as Jake stood, probably answering an unspoken question. I looked over toward Anna, who returned my gaze with her own curious one. "Follow me." I whispered, standing. We moved into the kitchen where I set my half-finished food down on the counter. "What's up?" I held up a finger, listening to the conversation in the other room. After a short while, Carlisle approached Jacob and began talking about hunting, and I figured it was an okay time to speak. "Sorry, I wanted to know what my day was going to look like before I asked." I gave her a weary smile. "We're going to extend farther out into the forest at some point in the next couple days to scout for any scents or traces of Sam's pack so that the Cullens can go hunting."

"Oh. That's why their eyes are all black, right?"

"Exactly. That's not what I wanted to talk about though, I was actually wondering if you'd like to go see Charlie."

"Charlie?" She looked confused for a moment. "Of course I want to see Charlie, but why now?"

"Well Charlie isn't the only thing I want to do, I just assumed you would like to visit him. We haven't seen him since you moved out, and he has to be on edge after all this. The way Bella's planning this out, it seems you're going to be the only one he has left, she can't exactly visit him as a vamp."

She thought about it for a moment, chewing on a piece of sausage idly before nodding. "I would like that, yeah. What else are we doing?"

"How about a walk on the beach? Like we used to before everything got complicated." I proposed.

"I'd like that. But there was never a time when things weren't complicated. Between you being new at the wolf thing, the newborn army and Jake's leaving it's been pretty much constant stress. You never relax." she replied with a smile.

"Good point. After this is all over… we'll get back to that. In a few years when your age has caught up to my body's age, I'm going to stop shifting anyways. Once that happens, we'll be able to just live."

"I'm looking forward to it." she smiled, reaching up to kiss me.

Esme appeared in the doorway to the kitchen as our lips parted, an apologetic expression on her face. "So sorry to interrupt." she grabbed a plate of food swiftly and left without another word as she presented the food to Jacob in the other room.

"They're all so courteous." I said with a sigh, returning my gaze to Anna. "I wish I could return the favor."

"You are." she leaned back against the kitchen counter with a shrug. "You abandoned your family to protect them. That's not a decision made lightly, especially for you. You had to leave the only home you've ever had. The only place you've felt happy in your new life. They know that, that's why they're making an effort to be so courteous."

"I suppose. You're wrong about one thing though, the place I'm most happy is always where you are."

* * *

As my feet treaded on grass once more, I inhaled deeply as a russet brown wolf trotted out from behind the trees where I could see clothes hanging. "Can't say I enjoy the smell." I shook my head, shedding my clothes and hanging them on a branch near Jake's before phasing.

_I'm going to separate from the pack while I patrol. I'd like some time alone in my head._

_Sure. Howl if something happens, we'll hear you._

_Of course. Oh, I almost forgot. I'm going to be driving out to La Push today with Anna, take a break from everything for a little while. You don't need me, do you?_

_No. Just try to be back after a few hours? Leah's going to need to crash soon and Seth's out until dusk._

_'Kay._

He departed, wading through the river as I turned and walked the other way, putting up that mental barrier and separating myself, returning to the silence and the empty feeling as I ran. My mind refocused instantly on James, and the phone call I'd yet to receive. There's no way he would actually call me, but there was also no way he'd just let this pass and do nothing with the knowledge of my whereabouts. Knowing him, he'd gotten himself into some kind of trouble and needed me to help him out of it whether that was peddling something or stealing something. I'd been through the process countless times, done countless things and taken countless ammounts of dollars to get him out of whatever shit he'd managed to bury himself in.

The problem was driving him away. One look at me would tell him I'm nothing like what I had been. I'm at least a foot taller, much more filled out and extremely in shape due to all the running I do. He'd be hard pressed to hurt me without a weapon, and even more hard pressed to get me to do anything for him. My life had taken a turn for the better and I refuse to let him change that. I still wasn't sure what he needed in the first place. I did know for certain he would find me eventually. I'd tried to run away many times before. He'd found me every time, and the result of those actions had been something I would never forget. Holding my head under a bath full of water, choking me into unconciousnes… some of the lesser things he'd done. My scars had not healed in the least since I'd become a wolf, and I felt their dull ache in the background of my mind at all times. That dull pain is something of an anchor to my sense of self now.

Above all else, I would make sure he would never catch sight of Anna, for if he were to even lay one hand on her I know for certain I wouldn't be able to hold myself back from ripping him apart. I wouldn't want to hold myself back, either.

* * *

Two hours passed and I returned to the Cullens' fully clothed again. One thing I would have to do when we got to La Push is take a real shower. The river kept me clean, but not as clean as I'd prefer. I opened the door and slipped inside quietly, hearing Seth's light snores from his position on the couch I had previously used as a bed with Anna, who looked up at my entrance with a smile. She had been sitting beside Bella watching the T.V as Rosalie flipped through channels at the speed of light. "Hey, Cam." Bella greeted me as Anna stood. "Hi Bella. Still feeling okay?"

"Yep. Just a little warm." she replied, nestling herself closer to Edward who sat beside her, watching the T.V with unseeing eyes. _Might serve you well to have some hope. Her plan is sound, all may not be lost._ I directed my thoughts toward him, noticing his expression change ever so slightly in the reflection of the glass. His right shoulder raised the slightest bit; a shrug. _Just saying._

"Ready?"

"Yeah." she jingled her car keys before dropping them into my hand. "You're driving."

"I think I can handle that."

We departed to the garage, slid into the car and left down the twisting road that was the entrance to the Cullens' place. "So what are we doing first?"

"I was actually hoping to go to La Push first. I want to take a shower and change into some clothes of my own." I picked at the collar of the shirt I was wearing. "No offense to Emmett or anything, but his clothes smell terrible and they're a little baggy."

"Well yeah, Emmett's a monster. You're only slightly less so."

"Gee thanks."

She laughed, turning her head to look out the window. "You know what I mean. All muscles and whatnot."

I was laughing now. "What are you talking about?"

"Your muscles! You have muscles!"

I shrugged. "I guess."

"You really don't see yourself clearly at all." she rolled her eyes, nudging me with her elbow. "You look a lot like Emmett actually as far as build goes, just not as big. Which is a definite plus. You're already way too tall for me."

"Please, you're just too short for me."

"Hah! You're freakishly tall, and it only happened after you phased. You started out all stalky and skinny, now look at you." she smiled at me happily. "I definitely prefer this healthy you to the skinny frail you."

"That we can agree on, at least."

We stopped at the house to shower and change, leaving after thirty or so minutes to walk toward the beach. I was stopped by a rumbling sound in the woods behind us, and immediately pulled Anna behind me. "What's wrong?"

"You can come out, I'm not here to hurt anyone, I'm just going to the beach." I called out to the forest I could just barely see past the building. Through the trees breached a wolf with chocolate brown fur, his head low as he loped along the back of the building, disappearing from sight momentarily. Quil stepped out a moment later with a pair of shorts on and a stressed smile. "Hey, Cam. It's been a while."

"No doubt, how goes it Quil?"

"It goes. Hi Anna." he smiled at the girl who had moved to stand my my side. "Hi Quil! Are you okay? You look terrible."

"Yeah, I'm good. Things are a lot more active now-a-days. We patrol almost constantly." he yawned pointedly.

"I suppose that's kind of my fault." I chuckled, scratching the back of my head. "So what's up? What are you doing here?"

"Ah, see I was on my way to pick up Claire when I caught your scent. I wanted to make sure you were… friendly I guess."

"Why wouldn't I be friendly? You're my brother, I would never do something to hurt you or any of the others."

"I know, it's just… Sam is kind of on edge. Two new Alpha's, you know? A lot to worry about. He's convinced himself that you're going to try and take over. The lot of us telling him we'd never let it happen doesn't help at all."

"Understandable. You guys lost four wolves. it's bound to cause some stress, especially with the manner I left in. I wasn't exactly friendly about it. Plus having no pack is kind of an oddity."

"So you really didn't join Jake's pack?"

"No. I'm helping him out, but that's the extent of it. I can't be a subordinate anymore, that instinct is too powerful. Even being around Jake is tense sometimes. That competitive nature drives us."

"How is Jake? Is he…"

"He's good, Quil. He's got a ton of stress, he doesn't sleep enough as usual and there's so much going on it's spinning him in more ways than he can count, but he's keeping up with it. He's an extremely good leader."

"What do you guys do for food and stuff? Do you just eat raw or what?"

"For the most part, Leah and Jake do. Seth and I eat the human food the vamps make. It's not bad once you get past the smell, they don't touch it so it's pretty tolerable. I only eat raw when the opportunity presents itself and I haven't had anything." I eyed Anna warily, and she made a disgusted face. "It's really not all that bad. Definitely no cinnamon roll, though."

A howl sounded off in the distance, and I was temporarily seized by the instinct to phase and find the source, but managed to suppress it as Quil let out a heavy sigh. "That'll be Sam. It was good seeing you again Cam, Anna." he nodded at us as Anna returned the notion. "Tell Jake I said hey, okay?"

"Sure. Get going bro."

"Later."

he disappeared back into the trees, and I listened as he sped away before letting out a sigh. "He looks like crap." I said after a minute. Anna began to walk, and I followed beside her as she nodded. "He looks a lot like you did durring those months when Jake was gone."

"For sure. I'm glad he came to talk though. I miss a lot of the guys."

"Me, too. I miss the cookouts and stuff at Sam and Emily's. they were so much fun."

"When everything was relatively normal. Life definitely got a lot more complicated."

"You can say that again."

"When everything was relatively normal. Life definitely got a lot more complicated."

"Shut up, Cam."

* * *

**P.S: A big thank you to Ladyofthelake. Every review from you is a pleasure to read and genuinely brightens up my day. I will never be able to thank you enough for your kind words and encouragement. Thank you. **

Edit: Fixed some structural and italicized issues. - 10/3/2014


	31. Chapter 31 - Insight

**Authors Note: No excuse for the tardiness of this chapter. I just didn't write it. I've got a lot more free time lately, so I'll more than likely be able to actually keep up with the schedule I had re-set for myself. Sorry again. **

* * *

We spent a total of two hours lounging on the beach, sitting at our log of driftwood and watching the waves. We'd made a point to visit my old clearing, which looked pretty much the same as I left it only without the tent, which was lying in ruin somewhere back at the clearing still; I hadn't bothered going back to pick it up or its contents what with Jake being injured. We stopped by the house one more time to grab a few changes of clothes, including two pairs of shorts I'd been using often for when I was patrolling for Sam, that way I could have them strapped to my leg like I used to. Having the vampire hand-me-downs tied to your leg was a little irritating, the smell never seemed to go away.

After all was said and done, we stopped by Charlie's, and I had to hand it to the guy, he looked relatively okay despite the fact that he very rarely smiled and seemed to space out more than usual. Anna had said she wasn't able to see Bella either, but that she was talking to her on the phone and she sounded a bit better. We kept up the facade that Carlisle was feeding the man, and it felt horrible to do so. Anna had ended up cooking dinner for him while I went out back to phase and check in with Jacob, who told me we'd be good for another hour or so. Leah was insisting on pushing it out a little longer. I came back inside to find Charlie sitting at the kitchen table, watching as Anna prepared hamburgers. "How many?" she asked, motioning to the meat. "Two if there's enough. Jake says we've got another hour before he needs me back on." I sat at the kitchen table across from Charlie, who quirked an eyebrow at me. "What are you and Jake doing?" he inquired, fiddling with the badge in his hands.

"Working on a car." I replied, pulling my phone from my pocket. Still no missed calls… I'm starting to think I'm paranoid. "Not another one of those damned motorcycles, I hope." he grumbled.

"It is, actually. Bella gave hers back to Jake and he never bothered to sell it. He's given it to me, but it's in need of some TLC."

"You ought to sell the thing once you fix it up. We don't need another repeat of Jacob's broken everything."

"I might. I need some form of transportation though, I can't very well carpool with Anna." I shrugged. "Once I save up some money I'll buy a car and get rid of the thing."

"Sounds like a good plan."

"Did he actually give you the bike?" I heard Anna whisper under her breath, so low that only I could hear it.

She walked over to place some condiments on the table, and I nodded to her while Charlie was distracted. He did offer me the bike, I just hadn't taken it. I'd have to ask him about it once this was all over. Bella might want it back, after all… or she wouldn't want anything. Neither would Jacob. Except to kill every Vampire he saw, and that was something I just couldn't allow.

Once all was said and done, Anna said goodbye to Charlie, gave him a long hug, then we left to return to the Cullens'. Once we made it back, I stopped at the house to drop Anna as well as check up on Bella and Seth. Both of them were sleeping, Edward stuck close by. Anna greeted him before following me back out of the house. "So what are you doing now?" she asked when we stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "Patrol, I guess. Seth won't be back on for a while and I think Jake wants to extend out a bit, before we do the main scouting trip." I shrugged. She nodded, setting herself down on the front step. "What's up?" I asked, sitting beside her.

"Nothing, really. I just miss days like today, you know? We haven't had a while to just be together since before the wedding. Now all this has happened… it doesn't look like that's going to change any time soon."

"I know." I slung an arm around her midsection and pulled her into my side. "I'll make this work somehow. Maybe we can start doing this every day. I'll figure something out with Jake. We can make time to be together."

"Okay." she whispered before shrugging my arm away. "Get going, I'll be here." I stared at her face for a long moment before nodding and moving out into the forest while she returned to the house. I had to figure this out quickly. I phased after hanging my clothing on a low branch and joined the pack mind after a moment of collecting myself. _Hey, Cam._ Jake greeted me. _How'd your date go?_ Leah asked, her tone amused.

_I ran into quil. I said, ignoring her question. Yeah? How's he looking?_ Jake asked. I replayed the conversation in my head, paied extra attention to his face and how it had looked, then Anna's comparison to hers and mine when I had been running doubles all the time. _Jeez, he looks like crap._ Leah thought.

_Sam's got them spread thin. They have a lot more ground to cover than we do… and we've left them four wolves short. I supplied while Jake mulled it over. Did you see Embry at all?_

_No. I didn't see anyone else. Never even heard any of them. They'd been around the apartment, but not recently. Probably after I left, before they knew. It was old enough._

_Huh. Well, not much we can do about it. It's good to know that Sam's keeping them on their land though… that'll help._

_Then again it could have been a lie._ Leah chipped in.

_Maybe. We'll have to run a ways regardless. How long until Seth's due back?_ I asked while taking up the southern part of the circle.

_Dusk._ Jake replied. _I want to do a few spokes deeper. Cam, can you do the same once you circle back around?_

_On it._ I replied, pushing myself faster. It felt good to be back to my animal self again. _Leah, while we're doing that go ahead and take the circle faster._

_Can do._

We worked in silence until Jake and I started to extend outward, not too far, only a few miles in total. Leah had treated the entire thing like a competition of course, so by the time dusk rolled around, she was extremely exhausted. Jake let her rest while the two of us ran. Neither of us were tired, so Jake decided to leave Seth as he was for a while longer.

I'd kept repeating my tracks, extending a little farther each time, then I'd circle back around and complete the perimeter. It wasn't until the sun had started to rise that Jacob started talking. _Cam._ His asked quietly.

_Yeah?_

_Can I ask you a question? About imprinting._

_Of course… what's on your mind?_ Interesting to say the least, he'd never talked to me about imprinting since he first explained it to me when I'd imprinted on Anna.

_You have this kind of gravitational pull toward her… that anchor. With other things in your life happening… things like this, things like your stepdad showing up again… does it make you feel any differently toward them?_

I paused to think about it as I ran up the north end of the circle. _Well I still hate my step dad, but for the most part… things that depressed me before, like sleeping in that clearing for as long as I did. After I met Anna, it wasn't so bad. I didn't think about it as "_Going back to the undersized tent and the dirty ground and the loneliness_" it was more "_Going back to the undersized tent and dirty ground to sleep so I can see her again tomorrow_". I honestly don't know what changes. I do know that I see everything differently. It's like you said; everything is secondary._

_Ah._

_Why do you ask?_

_I just… sometimes, when I look at Bella, it's like taking a hit of some kind of drug. I know that going back and seeing her is only going to make me worse, but I can't keep myself from going._

_and imprinting would make all that go away._

_Basically, yes._

_It's a good idea in theory, but remember what it means to imprint._

_What do you mean?_

_I mean the fact that you're soul mates. Wanting to be with somebody to make the pain you feel from somebody else go away, is that really something you want to do?_

_If you had learned while you were with James that being with Anna would make it easier, would you have done it?_

I didn't answer. We both knew what I would say anyways; of course I would do it. Why would I not? To make anything easier back then would have been like divine intervention. But in a way, that's exactly what happened. I got here, where I was supposed to be, and got better because of her and because of my friends. I would take that in an instant if given the opportunity. _I would have, I guess. But you guys would have understood it. Would your imprint understand it? To her it might seem like she was just an excuse to get away from the girl you truly love._

This time it was his turn to not answer the question, probably because he knew that I was right in a way. I doubted it would change anything for him, though. He would probably still take the opportunity if it presented itself. J_ust give it time, dude. It will get better. It has to._

_and if it doesn't?_

_It will. I repeated confidently._

_I hope you're right._

_Completely off topic, but I need to take tomorrow off._ I said after a few minutes of silence. _Why, what happened?_ He caught the distressed tone in my thoughts, and I shook my head. _Nothing really, it's just Anna. I want to get her away from all this for a little while, get some fresh air, maybe go back to La Push and spend the night. We'd be back by morning of course, but since you'll have Leah to go deeper into the forest with I figured it would be a good time to ask._

_Is she okay?_ He had almost started digging through my head for more information, but stopped quickly when I put up that mental barrier I usually kept maintained. _Sorry._

_It's okay. I know you don't mean harm by it. It's just the way she's been acting. After we got back she seemed like she wished we hadn't. I don't want to overload her with all this. It has to be hard, especially with how close she is to Bella._

Y_eah, I see your point. It's cool, you can take off for a day. Come back when you can, not when you think you need to. Leah, Seth and I can cover the circle pretty well, you don't need to be here all the time. Just come back, okay? I don't think… I don't think things are getting better. I'll need you to be here in case something happens. You're the only one who can stop me from…_

_Yeah. It's cool. I'll be here. Thanks, Jake._

_No problem. When are you leaving?_

_When Seth gets up._ I replied just as we felt a third conciousness enter the pack mind. _Speak of the devil. I'll finish up this lap then head back._

_Alright. Like I said, take your time, you don't have to be here all the time, you can have some time to yourself. We all had lives, yours was just a little more formed._

_Thank you._


End file.
